#charles definitely not one to shy away from battling with the best

[petit-papillion]

"Charles may feel a little nervous, because Lewis is a constant driver on all fronts. He is strong politically, technically and has great experience. On the other hand, Leclerc is younger, he can find a way to ride on the levels of Lewis: speed, no mistakes, strategy, tactics. All this will ask him questions that he will have to answer. But when you want to be the best, you have to compare yourself to anyone and if Charles manages to beat Lewis, to compete or surpass him, he will receive a new impetus, a new awareness. Then there is another aspect: I understand that Leclerc has signed a deal for the next 5 years. He will have many opportunities to prove that he is the strongest."

Gerhard Berger on Charles and Lewis

Source: Corriere della Sera

[phireads]

My Books of 2023 Ranking 📖

This is a little late (it's the 12th of January when I'm writing this) but I read 18 books this year and I really wanted to just summarise my thoughts on them.

Obvious disclaimer: these are just my opinions and I would love to have a conversation about any of these books, whether you agree with me or not (the beauty of literature is that it's subjective) so please ask me any questions you might have.

Okay, let's get into it!

Re-reads:

The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Simply incredible. This was my fourth time reading this book. It does have a great deal of nostalgic merit for me so that surely makes me biassed and therefore I can’t say it’s definitively the best book ever (however much I might want to). It’s not some sort of philosophical masterpiece, nor does it present any new views on society or culture. But it does exactly what it sets out to do. It is a book written for teenagers and young people which teaches them, through vibrant characters and rich prose, that they are deserving of love and that a true sense of belonging can always be found if sought. I will be rereading this spring. 

First Reads:

16. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

⭐️⭐️

Ugh. This was such a slog. I had only ever read one Dickens work before this - A Christmas Carol, as required by my English GCSE (standard examinations in England, taken at age 15/16) - and I really enjoyed it. Yes, ACC was a novella and therefore, much shorter than Great Expectations and, I believe, most of Dickens’ other novels but I think it also has a spirit to it which just isn’t present in this book. I’m not referring to the “Christmas spirit” or indeed any of the four supernatural spirits which visit Ebenezer Scrooge throughout the stanzas, but rather the sense of movement that tells the reader that a story is progressing and wills them to read on. Great Expectations, to me, felt uninspired and dull. I liked (as in enjoyed reading about them, not solely agreed with them morally) only two characters, Biddy and Joe. The rest of the characters simply didn’t interest me, as they were too trivialised (which seems to be a major component of Dickens’ writing and all I can say is: Bertolt Brecht does it better). I recognise and appreciate what Dickens was trying to do with Miss Havisham having created a monster out of Estella but the way it was conveyed, especially given Pip was telling the story, simply lessened the impact. I didn’t like the convoluted prose, nor did I find the plot particularly engaging. I will be trying another Dickens novel (I own a copy of A Tale of Two Cities but if anyone has a better recommendation, please let me know) but needless to say, my expectations won’t be all that Great. 

15. The Tomb in Seville: Crossing Spain on the Brink of Civil War by Norman Lewis 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a travel piece which focuses on Lewis’ journey, with his brother-in-law, across Spain on an errand for his father-in-law, Eugene Corvaja to locate the Corvaja family’s ancestral tomb in (you guessed it) Sevilla. There were several elements of this book which I did enjoy, particularly Lewis’ way of imparting obscure facts (I had no clue there had been witch trials on the Iberian peninsula). Sadly, a lot of the anecdotal stories felt quite distant and unemotional. Perhaps, because I mostly read fiction, I was wrong to expect such sentiment from a travel piece but I do think there should have been more urgency felt when recounting being in the crossfire of a battle. I do want to acknowledge this book’s value as it demonstrates the rest of the world’s view of the guerra civil. 

14. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was honestly quite a disappointment for me. I know that seems ridiculous to say, given how I’ve rated it three stars, but I was just so excited to read this. I’d heard that Gaskell was an adept writer who did not shy away from political commentary. That much is true. I was extremely impressed by Margaret and Mr Thornton’s political sparring, as most Regency and Victorian era works that I’ve encountered disguise their political and social messaging so as to not create too much controversy. Gaskell, on the other hand, makes no attempt to veil the more sensitive issues of her time. What did disappoint me was her characterisation, or lack thereof. I did not find myself drawn to Margaret Hale, John Thornton, or any of their comrades and rivals. I’m very much a character-driven reader. To properly enjoy a fiction book, its characters must be at least one of three things:

Relatable - a character acts or thinks like me and therefore, I feel a bond with them and am invested in their fate (see: C. Brontë’s Jane Eyre or Austen’s Elinor Dashwood)

Recognisable - a character acts or thinks like someone I have encountered and therefore, feels realistic to me (see: Alcott’s Amy March or Stoker’s Lucy Westenra)

Compelling - a character acts or thinks in a manner with which I am not at all familiar and may find morally reprehensible  but does so in a way which engages me and encourages me to read on (see: E. Brontë’s Hindley Earnshaw or Golding’s Jack Merridew)

That seems arbitrary to state but regardless, I must be engaged with the characters for a plot or the writing to be worth reading and unfortunately I was not engaged with the characters of North and South. I will still be picking up Gaskell’s other work though and I can see why she is an exalted author and want to give her another chance. 

13. You’ll be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is not the kind of book I usually talk about on here, probably because I rarely read any young adult literature anymore (not for any snobbish reason, my tastes have just changed) and have never been a great fan of mysteries. However, I have an odd devotion to Karen M. McManus books, having fond memories of going to the supermarket after school to pick up her latest novel and trying not to bump into a tree as I read it on the walk home. So of course, I had to read this. It’s simply okay. The crime was basic and its perpetrator was unconvincing but it was an easy and fun read and I like to rate books based on my personal experience, rather than the general academic consensus. Would recommend The Cousins over this but still a good time. 

12. The Return by Victoria Hislop

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had read one Victoria Hislop book before The Return - Those who are Loved, published eleven years after this - and I’m very happy to say that Hislop is not a one hit wonder whose inspiration dims over time. I can see in The Return the ideas that would become her later novels. So naturally, this book was not as emotive or as fleshed out as I would have liked but it’s really nice to see a popular author who is very clearly dedicated to their craft and has improved. I really need to read The Island. Also brownie points for the Lorca mentions! 

11. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m actually sort of nervous to post this on here - particularly because I have beloved mutuals who would sail a thousand ships for this book. I’d heard about all the satire and social commentary in Northanger Abbey so I decided to approach it with a more academic viewpoint (especially since I love gothic literature - yes, even the silly and melodramatic stuff which Jane Austen criticises - so I didn’t want to get personally offended). I really respect what Austen set out to do and this is certainly the most transparent social commentary I’ve read from her. I just didn’t connect with the characters. I understand that Catherine is meant to be almost a parody of herself but she didn’t feel as real to me as Austen’s other heroines. Nor did, I truly regret to say, Henry feel like a leading man. I wasn’t very invested in their relationship and felt that their obstacles were resolved too quickly. HOWEVER, biggest compliments to the author for creating John Thorpe, one of the most timeless and insufferable antagonists of all time. I adored the fact that he’s not comically evil, he’s just awful. Where Catherine hopes she might be a heroine, John Thorpe believes down to his breeches that he is a hero. I also thought it was so well done how he tried so hard to get Catherine to fall for him and ended up directly facilitating her relationship with Henry. All in all, I will definitely be rereading because I’m sure I’ve missed some nuance. Unfortunately, Ms Austen has set my expectations so high, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. 

10. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This wasn’t really anything new but Jennifer Saint writes beautifully so I would like to read Elektra and Atalanta.

To me, this novel felt like a story of sisterhood so I’m surprised it wasn’t called Ariadne and Phaedra. Due to it just being called Ariadne, I would always have had a sense of Phaedra’s tragic fate, even had I not known her mythology beforehand. I will say, I read this in Crete after having visited the real Knossos so that definitely helped my enjoyment of the book. I would absolutely recommend this to people wanting to get into mythological retellings but be warned - the feminism is really basic and bland. 

9. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

All men these days know how to do is get arrested, fall asleep, drink wine and steal vacuum cleaners. This is, again, a brilliant instance of a writer developing over years of honing their skills. In Tortilla Flat, we see Steinbeck’s trademark landscape of the hot California deserts combined with the first inklings of his masterful character work. Danny and his friends are instant favourites of mine - especially the Pirate and Jesús María Corcoran. The plot is pretty weak, especially for Steinbeck, but as I said, this is one of his earlier works. Still a very engaging and atmospheric read and made me wish for five friends to share a gallon (or two) of wine with. 

8. The Wedding by Dorothy West 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would 100% recommend this book to anybody who enjoys media concerning high society and decadence. The Wedding marries themes of familial and racial politics with an idyllic island setting. I found the conversations between Gram, Liz and Shelby to be extremely compelling. I wasn’t as interested in the parallel plotline of Lute and his daughters though so the ending fell a bit flat for me. I also wish that we had seen Shelby’s fiance, Meade. I think West intended for Meade to be a symbol of Shelby’s choice between her family/ race and her love and therefore did not need to be developed into a full character but I just felt that if we had got to know Meade, we would have better understood Shelby’s decisions. Also, this is the second book I’ve read recently where a man dies directly after intercourse - is this a common plot point in books???

7. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Here we are. The behemoth. It’s not actually extremely long but oh boy, is it jam-packed? I really didn’t know how to rate this because it’s just so different from anything I’ve ever read before. I suppose I should get the negatives out of the way first by saying that I did not enjoy the structuring. I wish we didn’t know that the majority of the characters of the first half of the novel are already dead when Nelly recounts the story to Mr Lockwood. I understand that Brontë might have intended to show how all the first generation were doomed from the beginning and I think telling us of Catherine’s death was ingenious but I wish I’d found out about Isabella’s death in the main narrative. Otherwise, what a masterpiece! The pacing was a little slow for the first 100 or so pages but I honestly enjoyed that because it allowed me to really immerse myself in Brontë’s eerie moors. As someone who spent a lot of time in Yorkshire as a child, I found the descriptions to be absolutely transporting. I thought the first half of the book was brilliant but the second half - concerning Catherine, Heathcliff and Hindley’s children - is what makes this book a deserving classic. I have a lot more to say but I promised myself I’d keep these reviews short and digestible so I’ll move on. 

6. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my fourth Fredrik Backman book (following A Man Called Ove, Beartown and Us Against You). I think if it hadn’t been a Backman novel, I would have loved it even more but you know how it is, I have high expectations. The writing was, as ever, extremely charming and engaging (shoutout to the most consistently brilliant translator I’ve ever read, Neil Smith) and the characters were so realistic and loveable. I just felt the plot dragged. Probably because the majority of the novel takes place in one apartment building and the same story is told from multiple perspectives. I felt a lot of joy whilst reading this but it’s definitely my least favourite Fredrik Backman book. Oh well, onto The Winners (which I know is going to make me cry)!

5. Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so beautiful. I feel I should start by noting that this book was bought for me by my beloved best friend and neither of us realised it was a sequel until I was halfway through reading it so naturally there were elements of the plot and characters that I did not fully understand but I have tried to not let that affect my judgement. The premise of the book is such an interesting one and, as a complete newbie to Japanese literature and a relative novice when it comes to understanding Japanese culture, I didn’t feel too overwhelmed by the different details. My favourite story was that of Yukio, Kyoko and their mother, Kinuyo. Since we’d already met Kyoko in Gohtaro’s story (and likely in the first book - take what I say with a pinch of salt), I had a fondness for the family by the time Yukio came to the café. I cried on the train because that was the best way that story could have concluded, in my opinion. The other stories were very powerful but it was Yukio’s that shone the brightest. I also LOVED the character of Kazu. I will definitely be reading the first (oops), third and fourth books in this series. 

4. The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My second Greek mythological retelling of the year, The Children of Jocasta was actually quite a shock for me. I’m a huge fan of Sophocles’ Antigone (though I’ve never seen or read Oedipus at Colonus or Oedipus Rex) so I’m very picky when it comes to reimaginings. I found the semi-modernisation aspect to be pretty cringeworthy (not everyone needs a nickname) but I found Haynes’ writing to be so addictive that I could move past those aspects. I was so intrigued by the dynamics between Oedipus and Jocasta and the plague element gave the story a lot more historical grounding (given the Athenian plagues of that era). Such an enjoyable and compelling read. I don’t know if it’s necessarily a good introductory read for those unfamiliar with mythology. If you’re looking for a truly modern Antigone retelling, absolutely give Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie a go. 

3. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the surprise of the year for me to be honest. A book written in the late nineteenth century by a man about a young maiden and her downfall? Sounds like the most maddening experience. But it wasn’t. Hardy’s portrayal of Tess, and of the women and girls she represents, was incredibly sympathetic. His writing was also remarkably atmospheric - especially during the final scenes at Stonehenge. Even the conversations with Tess and her friends felt like real teenage exchanges. Take notes, Stephen King and F. Scott Fitzgerald - men can write women convincingly and respectfully. Angel Clare also felt like someone I’ve met a million times over, someone who isn’t the epitome of evil but perpetuates so many injustices. Honestly a spectacular read. I’m so excited to pick up Far from the Madding Crowd.

2. Passing by Nella Larsen

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It feels almost strange putting Passing in second place, considering the profound effect it had on me. This book is completely incredible. Larsen’s prose is atmospheric and oddly breezy. It makes the plot feel deceptively light until we, as the reader, understand the stakes. From the second page, on which Clare is referred to as a “pale small girl” (the subversive ordering of adjectives bypassing English grammatical rules and thereby putting the utmost importance on the hue of Clare’s skin), the author puts so much consideration into her choice of wording which really makes this work stand out to me.Clare and Irene are truly two sides of the same coin (forgive the cliché). Their equal opportunities are made all the more clear by the wholly opposite way the two women deal with them. Clare chooses to hide from the truth (that her husband is a racist, that her marriage is founded on lies) whilst Irene cannot bear to live in ignorance when she recognises the connection between her own husband, Brian, and Clare. The two women are shining examples of what literary characters should be. They are complex and flawed and both seem to envy each other. Clare covets Irene’s life and Irene resents Clare for having the power to take that from her. Whilst reading, I considered many possible ways that the story might end but never that. Incredible. I just wish the penultimate scene had been a tad longer but that’s my own critique (barely even that, just personal preference). Also the film is spectacular and a rare faithful adaptation of its source material. 

1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Finally! We’re here! Ugh I love love love this book. Is it as socially or academically impactful as Passing? No, not at all. But it’s just a brilliant book. Anne is fiercely intelligent and kind and just an all-round wonderfully written protagonist. I loved Marilla, Matthew, Gilbert and Diana too. The scenes with all Anne’s classmates are just a perfect reflection of being a tween/ teen girl and feeling the joy of being surrounded by friends and being totally carefree. I feel like I knew Anne and all of her friends - I laughed with them and cried with them and watched them grow up and it was truly a magical experience. I want to visit St Edward’s Island because Montgomery paints it in such an enchanting way. I’m so invested in Anne and Gilbert’s relationship, it’s embarrassing. This book also found me at the perfect time - right as I was starting a distance degree. So I felt comfort in studying alone whilst also pursuing a career knowing Anne was too (I recognise that’s a little silly but oh well, it works for me). I wish I could start Anne of Avonlea right away but I know that I want to buy physical copies because I can tell I’m going to read these books again and again. Pure comfort. Pure timelessness.

📖

Alright, that's everything! Onto a wonderful new year of reading in 2024 <3

[thejudgingtrash]

🌳

Thank you for sending me a prompt :D This one shot it definitely not proofread, so I'm sorry about that.

I tried to do something different aside from Percabeth for once - Ruegard! Also tw: character death

Thorns and Roses

Silena looked at her. “Clarisse…” she mumbled.

“No. Please don’t,” Clarisse cried. Tears clouded her vision and her last moments with her.

“I’m so sorry.”

It took a mere split second for Clarisse to fall deep for her. It was a lazy glance to the side of the arena, when she saw her smile and wink. The encouraging wave of her hand that rose as Clarisse slammed Percy with her magical spear.

But that was all that it took, many summers ago. It was all that Clarisse little hardened heart needed. Clarisse La Rue, formally bully exterior, now nothing but a shell of destruction and failure.

She was truly her father’s creation. Her looks, her wit, her sharpened senses, her rage. All came from him unfortunately. But with the looks came the bad. The legitimate children of Zeus and Hera were cursed, no one wanted to admit it. They lacked in tact, they lacked in grace. Their status was only high lightened by their status and birth rights.

The captivating beauty of one Silena Beauregard was all that made Clarisse nearly forget those facts. Those pesky thoughts that had haunted her ever since she was a child. A child of Ares who had the greatest honor and the greatest displeasure of actually meeting her father.

The minute the son of Poseidon stepped into the camp; everyone knew. He looked like a younger and smaller version of his father; most people just played the indifferent card aside from that annoying Athena girl. Had Annabeth owned the medical tool kit from the Apollo cabin, she would have dissected Percy as if he were an insect. But no. Percy was successful with retrieving the lightning bolt and found out that one of the most beloved and prominent campers was a traitor. It was a wonder that Luke never bothered to try to recruit from the Ares cabin. With Clarisse on his side, it would have been a stroll through the parks, waging war against Olympus. Not only that, Percy had the nerve to humiliate her father for all to see. The Ares cabin had been the laughing stock for a whole year.

Then the sea rat stole her mission and final chance to shine and marked Clarisse’s downfall. Disgust. That was what her father breathed the few times she had seen him and pleaded for his advice. Strategizing wasn’t the strength of the legitimate war children. It was blood lust, destruction, interruption. And just like that he had wiped the Iris message with his hand, closing their call.

Clarisse La Rue, the biggest failure on Mount Olympus. But she was different. Silena, who greeted her every day. Silena who asked how she was feeling. It was Silena who was nurturing and caring. She who clearly sought her out and bonded with Clarisse. The campers saw it and yet they didn’t. Clarisse turned from the loud and brash leader of the cabin into a more solemn version of herself.

Love and war. Thorns and roses. They were opposites, but who was about to say they would attract each other? Love was pure and soft. It made you swoon and see the world through different lenses. War was the other side of the spectrum. It tore apart, it hurt, it caused pain. It would leave scars for eternity as love stood by its side to caress it. Ares and Aphrodite. Two forces not to be reckoned with. The beauty of a rose was always accompanied by the pain of its thorns.

“I want to see Charlie. See… Charlie…” coughed Silena. Blood sticked to her torn lips.

“I’m in love,” Silena had giggled back then. She tried to bite the smile down that came through anyways. Just like always.

Clarisse could hear her own heart beat louder with every new tact. It was beating to the rhythm of anticipation. She licked her lips and tried not to nervously touch her dull hair. I love you too.

“It’s Charlie, Charles Beckendorf.” Silena admitted, her blue eyes shining as bright as a thousand stars. Then she smiled again and broke Clarisse’s heart into tiny pieces.

It was the greatest irony of them all that a child of Hephaestus stole the heart of the daughter of Aphrodite all while the mighty speechless fruit of Ares could do nothing but sit there and watch. The gods must have a feast with that gossip on Mount Olympus.

O gods, why did you shoot Clarisse with the arrow of love? Eros, how could you? Didn’t she suffer enough shame and humiliation? It wasn’t that Clarisse was angry or disappointed. She was truly as happy for Silena as Silena was in love. She wanted to see her flower bloom and see her smile every day. If it meant that it was Charles who captured that precious place so be it.

But it was… Jealousy? No, Clarisse didn’t want to steal Silena away from Beckendorf. They deserved each other. Despite the children of Hephaestus being mental twins to the children of Ares, both with their and non-conforming looks, their strength and the cautious glances the other campers threw into their direction, Clarisse didn’t wish her cousin any harm. Beckendorf was shy around Silena and even if watching them share small kisses here and there caused Clarisse’s stomach to drop. She wanted Silena to blossom.

It was envy. If Clarisse could switch parts with Beckendorf she would do so in a heartbeat. He was polite and quite popular even if he wasn’t aware of it. While most of Hephaestus’ creations had a harsh tone to them, Beckendorf was truly one of his best to rise. The heart of a fighter and the smarts that could beat any quantum computer. And he beat Clarisse too, when it came to Silena Beauregard’s heart.

Clarisse tried to branch out, meet new people even in camp. She tried to keep an eye out for any other possible romantic partner, alas to no success. She was no dainty small girl which others seemed to prefer. She had her height and her muscles in her arm that beat most mortal men. No chance for her witty and empathetic personality to shine through.

Clarisse was no child of Aphrodite. She couldn’t smell emotions on a whim, but her father’s powers gave her a similar skillset. She could sense whenever something wasn’t right and it started months ago before the Battle of Manhattan. Silena was distant. Her hair was less shiny and her eyes as dull as the calm seas. She couldn’t look her in the eyes. She was distracted, looked to the side.

Something was off with her, no matter how much positivity the daughter of Aphrodite used to cover her tracks. Clarisse could tell, but she was tactful enough to not pry. Oh, had she pried back then. She had seen the signs, why didn’t she step up and say something? The difference between desperation and the calm before the storm was so small.

Silena ran away from Clarisse as if she had been hit by the arrow of hatred. The beauty could tell that she was unable to deceive her dearest friend. So, she stopped talking to her at all, avoiding her on every occasion. No more boy trouble, no more talks, no more sneaking off to the beach, no more laying down and watching the stars. Well, Silena watched the stars. Clarisse could only see her.

The manipulation of the Aphrodite cabin never worked on the children of Ares. They saw clear through lies and deception. In war every moment counted. You needed to be one with your environment. You needed to know your opponent. Was he stronger than you? Did he have more men? Was he able to do things you could never do? Would he risk things you would never do?

Avoidance was clearly the better tactic. Silena had learned a lot from Annabeth and the other children of Athena back in those days.

The moment Clarisse’s heart began to break forever was when it turned out that Silena had been the spy for the cursed Castellan boy. That he was. A naïve boy who thought that whining and throwing a fit on the ground would cause change. As the son of one of the master manipulators on Mount Olympus, Luke should have seen Kronos’ betrayal a mile away. But he was a broken and cursed boy like all of them, a kid in college and the Titan Lord cracked him like a walnut. No one in camp could have resisted, not even the strongest children like Percy, Thalia and Nico.

But why her? Why Silena? What did he do to Clarisse’s sweet Silena? What did he do that made her lights go out forever? What did he do to let her die like that? She deserved the death of a warrior, not the death of being the traitor’s second-class shadow.

Silena had chosen her in the end. Her, poor Clarisse La Rue. Like Patroclus and Achilles back then, millennia ago. She chose to disguise herself as Clarisse. The greatest deception, a war tactic of its own.

How had Achilles overcome his loss? How did he mourn? With agony. With the most destructive pain. With anger. Was he ever reunited with his lover? Clarisse did not know the answer. All she saw was her rose wilting on the dirty grounds of Manhattan.

The poison tore Silena’s face apart, the sad reminder of her being was slowly decaying. The shell of her being. The pain that she left in Clarisse’s heart. Silena had coughed and Clarisse knew it was time for Thanatos to put an end and for Hermes to bring her to the other side. She knew it, yet didn’t want to face the truth. It would break her already broken heart.

“Why did you do this?” whimpered Clarisse. “Why did you, you silly girl?”

But Clarisse knew why. It was like always – Silena did it out of love. Both for Beckendorf and for her. Her last moment was dedicated to the both of them.

The last red petal fell. It was just like that. One last breath and her life force was gone, the eyes dull and an ash gray layer covered her. The teary blue eyes. It was no picture for the gods yet something Clarisse would never forget. Of that she was certain. Silena’s black hair was framing her body like a dark halo. They were putting down roots on the cold and hard concrete. The final whispers of an escaped nymph making peace with the situation.

A piercing cry haltered all movements. Monsters and men alike. It echoed through the streets and drowned out all the noise from the battle grounds. Today they would die. Rage covered every inch of her body. The movements were robotic as if a parasite had taken over her, but it truly was the devastation that manifested itself within Clarisse’s mind.

She had killed that fucking drakon just like it killed one of the most precious people on earth. She never had the chance to hell her that she loved her dearly and sincerely. Deep down Clarisse knew that Silena knew the entire time. But she never had the guts to say it to her face, rejection be damned. To be freed of the burden and speak her truth. Clear her consciousness and her mind.

She was shaking with pain and desperation. Every muscle, every thought burned and hurt. Clarisse channeled all the ugliness of war. All of her strength just for her. She who had just left this plane of existance.

Clarisse had lost her.

The thorns had lost their beauty.

And they would all pay for it.

I hope the Apollon and Daphne theme shone through ^^ lmk what you think!!

[shyrose57]

Brothers anon back again. I had a sort of writers block for the last like 2 days which made it really hard to do some questions, but I got em done finally. Sorry about the wait. This one is split between the numbered questions, and next ask is the other questions you asked!

I think I accidentally skipped a question in the last one. I honestly don't completely remember but in case I did skip it by mistake, the groups first travel out of the city's limits and even further beyond in a carriage. When they reach the end of how far the driver is willing to go they then get out and start walking. With Jackie screaming about how their finally going on a adventure. 

1: It thankfully doesn't get to to bad before the others notice. And he immediately told them about Dream, wanting to be very clear with what happened and what they where getting themselves into. But they accepted him anyway and helped him. 

2: Isaac is the leader cause Cletus is too much of a wildcard and too impulsive to lead safely, Charles is too shy to lead, and while Benjamin is perfect for leading he doesnt really like leading and is more of a follower than a leader. But Isaac can joke around and gets along with everyone but also be able to take things seriously and know when something needs to be handled.

5: They do not, they last for a few minutes and unless its a healing or regeneration potion (in which it can take a few days for it to fully go away) they have no long lasting affects. They do know of eachothers past to an extent, they know enough to avoid triggers and enough to know what not to do when around eachother. They know through telling eachother, and they feel awful Grievous and Jackie had to deal with that, but leave it in the past and focus on making their current life better. 

6: Yes and no, while Jackie did mean to throw it at Ran, he ment for it to just hit nearby him, not directly hit him. It was ment to be more of a scare/intimidation tactic than anything else honestly. Grievous's luck is for basically everything, he has won the lottery twice before actually but only those 2 times, he's correctly guessed how many items are in a container more than a few times as well. 

7: I use the height charts and they help mostly for comparison, problem is I have trouble applying it to real world stuff and because of that I still have trouble knowing if something or someone is to tall or short. Jackie can get very mean, like he can make fun of someone who just lost a loved one or experienced a traumatic event at the worst. But he usually doesn't get nearly that mean, most he does normally is making fun of how someone looks or how they do certain things. The others comfort him the best they can when he gets sad, and when he gets mean they either encourage it (Grievous), or discourage it and stop him (Watson. Ran is between either encouraging or discouraging it).

8: He was! He spent most of his life adventuring actually! He misses it somedays now since he lives in Subbin, but he believes giving up his adventuring life for a family and friends who needed him is a more than far trade and would happily pick his family over adventuring again. For around 4 years after Ran left Mizu (including the day he left), Ran traveled everywhere, and learned how to survive himself and taught himself different things, like sewing. Ran has made new socks, fixed clothes, and made blankets for everyone at least once. Watson also designs bows and arrows for show, for top functionality, and for just simple (training) gifts to the others. Ran (and Watson) has visited the nether, though Ran tended to stay in it longer than Watson cause he could withstand the temperatures better. And while digging a new tunnel across the nether he ran into ancient debris, which he then messed with until he figured out to mix it with gold and coat his sword in it. He tried to find more ancient debris but sadly hasn't found any, leaving his sword permanently damaged and at risk of breaking. Jackie isn't good at all at painting, its more of a hobby he's trying out. They try to camp out there at least once a week, where Grievous will sometimes build a pillowfort and either force everyone inside or play a game of capture the fort with them. Sometimes Ran will also read during the pillowfort nights, but not to often. Jackie wants to vist a Snow, Savanna, Jungle,  Tagia, and if possible, a Ice Spike biome. He also wants to vist the nether but he'll have to fight Ran on that. Ran and Jackie's secondary titles are in Javanese!

9: Ran just kinda went "Hey Jackie, stand still for a second." "Ok?" And then he just picked him up and threw up. 

10: When he's first given dinner after already eaten lunch, he just kinda stares at the food. Then asks if they meant to give him food, and when the others say yes, he asks why because he thought people only ate once every few days. His answer shocked the others and they ask him to explain, and he explains futher that he was only allowed to eat and drink once every 3 days. Their horrified by this answer but explain to him how theres 3 meals a day and he can drink whenever, he doesn't believe them at first but eventually accepts it. 

11: When the fishermen first come to Ranbob about their worry, he expresses the same worry as them. But says that it's unlikely Ran will hurt the fishermen specifically, because Rans haunting are already friends with them, and Ran wouldnt risk breaking the friendship unless he deemed it necessary for their safety. 

12: Ranbob is sad that Ran goes to such lengths to avoid him and keep people away from him, but he has resigned himself to it. As he knew that if Ran was alive it was greatly unlikely that he would trust him and knew he would be avoided. Which is actually particularly why he believes Ran will never trust him again and why he views Ran as a kind of lost family member. One he'll never get back no matter what he does.

13: Their first stop is a nearby flower biome, and after that Watson has planned to lead them to a waterfall he found with a shattered Savanna somewhat close to it. They plan to travel for a minimum of 6 months, they can actually travel for as long as they want to, but Prokius made them agree that they must be back before the next General Pit Battles (which happens once every 5 years). 

14: He would 100% run himself into the ground until he's barely alive while searching for them. Benjamin compares Ranbob wanting to go back to Dream, to an abused person wanting to go back to their abusive lover. They believe they've changed and that they truly do love them and want the best for them, but in reality that's not it at all and others have to help them see thats not true and help them save themselves. So it doesn't surprise Benjamin or Isaac that much (it surprises Charles and Cletus though), and after its explained to them, their all more than willing to help Ranbob get over Dream and help him be himself again.

15: Oh definitely. Once they hear the Green-Eyed Enderman is back from hiding they all set out again, and after the group gets attacked and once word spreads that its in a group and there's another enderman with them, they all get targeted. With the Gladiators and Fishermen being targeted as bait or hostages to try to trick the enderman into following a trap. Ran wasnt affected like his brother was. Im talking about trauma and maybe even a bit of PTSD that came from Mizu, caused by Dream. Though both of the brothers have gained different amounts of trauma and PTSD from Dream. I may give the raven to either Watson or Ran, I think its fits both of them really well. I want to have them come across ruins of other Tales but im not sure which ones. Maybe they could find the remains of the Wild West Tale and the Haunted Mansion?

Glad to see you, Brothers Anon, and excited to read!

1: The perfect start to an Adventure. And a funny mental image. Imagining these two groups cramped into carriages is pretty amusing. How ready was everyone to get out by the time they could?

2: The fishermen are really great, and Ranbob is very lucky. I love them.

3: Isaac sounds like he’s a pretty good fit for it then. But nobody’s perfect! What are some flaws of his, leadership-wise?

5: Interesting. What makes Regeneration and Healing last longer? I suppose it’s not relative to the AU, but I am a bit curious. What’s the world’s potions mechanisms, if you don’t mind me asking? And that’s good! They may not know everything, but they know what to avoid, and that’s important. Everyone’s moved forward and are making the best of life, and honestly, that’s pretty cool of them.

6: Welp, Jackie, it seems intimidation tactic failed. However, you have managed to anger Ran, so..there’s that. He won the lottery? Dang. Well, if they ever need money, they can just send him to the nearest casino, I suppose.

7: Aight, so I may have a solution for you there. Whatever height you’re going for, find something in real life that’s just about the same height. Like a tree, or something. Or not, we can always just leave it at short enough to be tossed and tall enough to be the tosser. Jackie sounds like he knows where to hit to make it hurt, honestly. It’s good that they comfort him, though I am curious why they all react as they do to him being mean. Why does Grievous encourage it? And is it more of a depends on the day thing for Ran, or a depends on what was said to Jackie, and what Jackie’s saying thing?

8: Nice! What kind of places did he go? Does he have any particularly interesting knickknacks from that time period? And Ran personally sounds like he knows what he’s doing. Watson’s weapons sound really cool, where did he learn to make them? Is visiting the Nether not a common occurrence these days? Or is it simply that the others never got around to it before? Well, hobbies are always fun to try. Does Jackie keep at it and get better or get bored and try something else? How does Capture the Fort go with these guys, considering they’re gladiators? Why does Jackie want to visit those particular biomes? Is there a reason, or do they just sound cool to him? And why would Ran not want them going to the Nether? Because of the danger?

9: FDXGHJ- He just- tossed him?? No warning?? Oh my gods, I’m dying. How did Jackie react to that? Heck, how did Porkius react to that? I doubt anyone was expecting that display.

10: Oh, no. Now I really want to punch Dream in the face. What the heck, Dream?! He legit asks if they meant to give him food...If one of the fishermen or gladiators doesn’t eventually find a way to punch Dream, I will be forced to travel realities and do it myself. 

11: Kind of sad that Ranbob was equally concerned about it. But hey! He won’t have to be, one day!

12: Poor Ranbob. I hope he’s proven wrong, eventually. Do the fishermen know that he thinks this? If so, how do they feel about it? Or does he kind of just keep those thoughts to himself?

13: Flower biomes are really pretty. What did everyone think about it? Did they bring any flowers with them? So this roadtrip could possibly go on for a few years. Did they leave just after a General Pit Battle, or do they have like, less than five years? Speaking of General, is Jackie still the General in this AU? Does he have extra duties because of it? Or is that not something that happened in this AU?

14: Yikes. Reactions to this? Why does Ranbob believe Dream’s changed, as you put it? Is Dream still able to talk to him, or is it because he just misses being there? So Benjamin and Isaac aren’t all that surprised about it. Do they take the reins in helping out? And how do they all do so? It’s good that they’re helping him though.

15: Well, this sounds like it can’t end well. They try to use the hauntings as bait? Is anyone actually captured? Rescue missions? And alright, that makes a bit more sense. I can see how they’d both be effected differently, and honestly, they’d probably both have very different perspectives of the event, all things considered. Ravens for the win! And it’d be really cool for them to come across the ruins of old Tales buildings. Can you imagine the kind of things they’d find? Diaries, faded photographs, moth-eaten clothes, blood stained floors...Like a walk in the past, but they’ll never know what came to be for the people of that time.

[xmenshenanigans]

Hey, it's me again, lol!

Well I've been thinking about this pretty a lot and, I don't know if this is your kind of post, but I was wondering who would be like date someone of x-family, but you are an outsider. Like... not of other country or other necessarily human, but... I mean they live in a school and almost don't get out but to stop villains, so they are probably in their own world inside the school. I really hope you got it because I made a mess to explain.

Anyway, how would be to date a member of x-family begin an outsider?

I think I understand!

I did my best to answer, but I may have gone more in depth than you were thinking. I’m not sure exactly who you mean by X-Family, because they’re all one big family. So, I added a lot of people! 

NOTE: I did not put Erik and Charles in because they are kind of the parents of X-Family, and you specifically asked for X-Family. I don’t know if the parents would date anyone besides the other.

I don’t really do character x reader stuff, but this was a fun prompt. I hope I cover everything! Tell me what you think—feedback is appreciated! As always, thank you so much for the ask. Keep them coming! They are a lot of fun!

WANDA MAXIMOFF– Wanda likes domesticity. We saw that in WandaVision! I think you would likely meet her at the movie theatre, or a coffee shop. She can be a bit of a sap for things like that. She would be closed off at first, but if you could make her laugh, she would fall pretty fast. After that, it would be drive-in movies with popcorn fights in the front seats, references to sitcoms that the two of you watched together, and other fun dates (playing Twister, making cupcakes together, pretending to be witches and/or a witch and wizard attending Hogwarts together, etc.). Wanda might even show off her magic a bit to make you smile! It would be very two-way. Both of you would get a lot out of the relationship. Charles would likely dote over you if you could make Wanda smile. He would be the parent that constantly asks Wanda how her girlfriend/boyfriend is doing. Erik would probably be skeptical until he saw you making Wanda happy. Pietro would play lots of jokes on you to see how you react—do you take it well, or get mad? That would determine how he views you. 

PIETRO MAXIMOFF— Pietro does have a life outside of the mansion. He gets away every moment he can, and because he’s so fast, there’s nothing his parents can do to stop him. You would probably be a friend of his that he met on one of his excursions from the mansion. It would start as just a friendship. But then friendship would probably turn into fun practical jokes that you could both laugh at. Karaoke nights would start to get later and later as the two of you refused to watch the clock and just spent time with one another. Halloween would be a lot of fun—I think Pietro would probably want to do a couple costume. He would refuse to call it that, though. Everyone else would meet you first as a friend, and then the psychics (Jean and Charles) would catch on that there was something more to it. They would make lighthearted fun of the two of you, but because they are both so caring, they would also take you under their wings, so to speak. Erik, on the other hand, may threaten you if you hurt his son. And Wanda would probably judge you. 

JEAN GREY— Jean is studying to be a doctor, and I assume she still goes to classes outside of the Xavier Mansion. In order to get her attention, you would need to prove that you don’t like her for looks. She has had a rough love life, and they always seem to want her because she’s pretty. If you could prove to Jean that you like her because she’s funny, CRAZY smart, and fun to be around, then she would start inviting you to things. If you let her make the first move, she would probably like you even more. Dates would include long drives where the two of you could talk about anything and everything, book store dates where you would buy each other books, and the occasional food fight. Jean has a fun side that she rarely shows: she likes to be a kid, too, not just a superhero that studies medicine. She likes to make a mess, dance around, and stay up all night telling scary stories. If you were into that kind of thing, Jean would be a lifelong lover. She’s very heart-to-heart. Erik would probably look at you and nod slowly, because he could see the love in Jean’s eyes. Charles would be the skeptical one here. He would not want to see Jean get hurt, and it would take a few weeks for him to warm up. The other kids would probably adore you—after all, you would be someone totally new that can bring out the good in just about anyone.

RAVEN DARKHOLME— Would You Date Me? That was the song (yes, from the soundtrack of X-Men: First Class) that Raven would think when she met you. You would probably meet her on the battlefield. Raven is attracted to bad boys/girls. You would probably be a villain, and she would be a reformed hero. She would meet you and want to know more. You would not hurt her in battle because you have a softer side, and she would want to understand why. That would lead to her sneaking out of the mansion in the middle of the night to meet with you in various places. The dates would include was-that-fighting-or-flirting and a lot of heart-to-heart talking. Raven needs body positivity, and if you gave it to her, she would be eternally thankful. When you eventually would meet the rest of X-Family, it would be a little awkward... you would have tried to kill everyone in the room multiple times. Charles forgives easily, so he would accept you quickly. Erik has been in your position before, so he would like you, too. The other kids might take some time though!

ORORO MUNROE— Ororo used to be a pickpocket, and I think you would likely meet her by trying to pickpocket her. She would see you and decide that she wants to help you. You would start by meeting up for coffee and lunch where she can help you overcome your desire to steal. After that, you would open up and start to trust her more, but you would also want to spend more time with her. She would meet up with you at any time, whenever you needed her. Dates would include dancing in the rain and Ororo taking you up into the clouds to watch the sun set. She would teach you to garden and give you self-worth until you no longer felt the desire to steal to get by. The others would accept you very easily—if Ororo likes you, you have to be good.

SCOTT SUMMERS— Scott is very traditional. He would probably rescue you during battle—maybe a stone tower was going to fall on you or something, and he blasted it away. He likes to be the hero. After that, the two of you would start meeting up in all the cliche ways. He would take you to the movies or out to food. He would throw pebbles at your window, and send you long texts about how beautiful you are. Scott has gone through many lovers before, but the others would see the way he looks at you through his visor and quickly decide that you’re one of the better ones.

KURT WAGNER— Kurt is super religious, and I suspect you would meet him through church. He would be very shy, but if you were able to look past the blue, two-fingered, tailed exterior, you would find the softest of hearts. He would bring you flowers with small poems attached, and take you on short vacations—teleporting, not traveling—to the beach or to the big city. He would like to see your smile. There would be a lot of surprise gifts, too. If you ever needed him, he would teleport to get there as fast as he could. The others would think it is adorable that you make Kurt smile so much. They would invite you over all the time, for dinner and for game nights. 

ROGUE— The poor woman is so touch-starved. You would probably meet her on an occasion that she snuck out, the little rebel. She would like to give you hugs (without skin to skin contact) and run her hand through your hair. The two of you would spray paint walls and have water gun fights as often as you could. She would probably leave you gifts outside your door on a weekly basis. Because she is, well, Rogue, I doubt she would tell the others about you for a couple of months. She would not want to make a scene. She’s also just rebellious like that. When she finally did, though, she would get a talking-to from Charles. Erik would want to meet you immediately, because he would think that you sound awesome. Charles would come around to that view, too. The other kids would probably be a little wary... until they met you.

KITTY PRYDE— NERDS! She is such a geek, and you would probably meet her through robotics or something. It would start as a school girl’s crush, complete with sending one another notes and giving each other looks when no one else is around. Once you got together (she would probably make the first move, but if you beat her to it, she would definitely say yes), she would make bad pick up lines and puns all the time. She would meet up with you to do things like fly drones over restricted areas. When she would take you to meet her family, she would make a big deal out of it. She’d make sure that it was a formal dinner with everyone on their best behavior, and... yeah. The others would find it endearing, and with a good first impression, they would easily accept you into the family.

LOGAN— This one is fun. Logan is a lone wolf. You would likely meet him on a separate mission, possibly in Japan. You would need to chase after him. He would not make the first move. If you chowed him that you really cared for him, then he would start to get protective and try to keep you safe. There would be a lot of late nights drinking and whatnot... I’ll leave the ‘whatnot’ up to your imagination. I mean, this is Logan. But he would love you very deeply. Seldom does Logan fall in love, so when he does, it’s a big deal. That being said, it would probably be a long distance relationship. You would probably not meet the rest of X-Family for a couple of years, until the relationship was solid and he wanted to take you back to the States to meet everyone. It might even be the wedding. If it was the wedding where you finally met the X-Men... expect some laughs. They would tell every embarrassing story about Logan, just to make him flustered.

Holy cow, that was long. I hope you liked it, and I hope it answered your question!!

[shimmersing]

Best Intentions Masterpost | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Bonus! Soundtrack @ Spotify

Chapter Four: In My Arms 

“I feel like we keep arriving late to the party,” Erithon said dryly to Jorgan and Dorne as they entered the Thul warehouse uncontested.

A young man dressed in Organa colors ordered a group of beaten, grumbling Thul guards into a makeshift holding cell at the back of the building. The same guards that Erithon and the rest of Havoc Squad had expected to be battling themselves, but apparently someone had beaten them to the punch… literally.

The man tapped a code into the keypad with relish, and the forcefield lit up the doorway, sealing the indignant guards inside. He grinned and turned to Erithon, rushing over with a look of awe. “You’re with the Republic?”

“Havoc Squad. You’re with House Organa?”

“Brant Sonn, sir,” he replied with a bow.

Definitely from here, Erithon thought. “Wait…” Erithon frowned at the young man, recalling the briefing. “Brant Sonn? One of the hostages?”

“Yes!” He answered with a shade too much enthusiasm, pausing to compose the rest of his answer thoughtfully. “The Wolf Baron freed us when the diplomat turned herself in. We came for her as soon as we’d heard what happened. We couldn’t allow a friend of our house to remain under Thul’s hold, not after she sacrificed herself for us.”

“Was anyone hurt? I mean, besides…” Erithon nodded toward the bruised Thul guards, ensconced safely behind the forcefield.

Brant grinned. “No, sir, but the diplomat was sedated, we think. She’s a Jedi, so we-”

Erithon grasped the other man’s shoulder. “The Jedi. Where is she?”

“There, with the Duke, still in the other cell.” Brant pointed toward the other storage area where Charle Organa paced restlessly behind a slicer working at unlocking the forcefield. Beyond the crackling barrier, Erithon could just make out a human form.

“Thanks. Jorgan, see if there’s anything else we can do for Brant here. Dorne, with me.” He clapped Brant gratefully on the shoulder before turning toward the duke.

Organa looked up as they approached, his surprise lasting only a moment before being replaced by relief and gratitude. “Lieutenant! Please, tell me you’ve brought medical supplies.”

“Yes, sir,” Erithon answered, just as the slicer made one final adjustment. The glowing shield dropped, allowing Erithon, Elara, and Duke Organa to finally reach the unconscious occupant.

The prone figure was swathed in neutral shades, and a glimpse of dusky blonde hair peeked out from under the familiar hood. No, no, this isn’t what I meant when I-

The sickening lurch in his stomach almost sent Erithon to the dusty floor of the warehouse.

Aitahea.

“What in blazes happened?” Erithon demanded as he rushed to her side and yanked off his gloves. Elara dropped to the floor beside them, digging through her kit.

Duke Organa scowled furiously while he hovered. “They drugged her. Some kind of gas. Barbarians. Can you wake her?”

It looked like she’d been tossed unceremoniously over a shipping container after the drug had taken effect; the very thought set Erithon’s teeth grinding. He scooped the unconscious Jedi into a sitting position, pushing her hood back and shifting gently to let her head rest on his armored shoulder. She was white as the snow outside, lashes stark black against hollow cheeks. Biting back a particularly vicious curse, he pressed his fingers to her neck and exhaled sharply when he found a steady pulse. Elara Dorne finished her search and pulled out a handful of stims, efficiently scanning the labels before passing one to the waiting lieutenant.

“Antidote for general sedatives, sir.”

Erithon wasted no time in pressing the stim to Aitahea’s throat, watching anxiously as the medication worked its way into her system. He let the empty cartridge fall away, cradling her cheek in one hand as he waited for a response. “Come on, Jedi.”

The trooper held his breath while she stirred. Her eyelids fluttered, then opened, green eyes clouded as she focused on his face.

“Oh. Lieutenant.” A slow blink drew her eyes closed for a long moment before opening again to reveal a dreamy smile. “I was just thinking of you.”

He broke into a wide grin, elated and undeniably pleased. “If we keep meeting like this, Master Jedi, I might start getting ideas.” He closed his arms around her, unable to hide the deep sigh of relief that rushed out. “How is it you end up in my arms every time we meet?”

She gave a soft laugh, for a fleeting moment nothing more than a pretty girl amused by his witty banter. She lifted a hand and tapped gently on his chest plate. “I received your message, but I haven’t had a chance to watch it.”

Now it was his turn to laugh, only to be interrupted by the understated sound of Elara clearing her throat. Erithon started, realizing he still had Aitahea cradled close, his thumb idly brushing the curve of her cheek. Erithon spared a glance toward Duke Organa, who had watched their reunion unfold with a charmed expression. Erithon self-consciously dropped his hand from Aitahea’s face and hastened to help her sit upright while Elara thoughtfully offered the Jedi water. Aitahea gave the other woman a grateful smile, then looked toward Duke Organa.

“Your Grace. Are the hostages safe?”

“Indeed, and once free they immediately came to your aid.”

Aitahea blinked, brow knitting. “They came… for me?”

“Without hesitation.”

Aitahea nodded solemnly, thoughts elsewhere for a beat before finally lifting the container of water to her lips with trembling hands. Erithon hovered protectively at her side, frowning when he realized her already-slight form was thinner than on Taris. It had been months, of course, but… what had happened since then?

Elara leaned closer, peering carefully at Aitahea. “Master Jedi, I’m Sergeant Elara Dorne.” The sergeant glanced briefly at Erithon before continuing her queries. “How do you feel? Any pain or discomfort?”

“Woozy, Sergeant, but I expect that’s normal, thank you. A vast improvement from a few minutes ago. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“Lieutenant,” Aitahea turned back to Erithon, eyes clearer than they’d been moments ago, color returning to her cheeks. “What are you doing here?”

“We’re the cavalry, of course.” Erithon jerked a thumb back over one shoulder. “Been helping the Duke out with his troublesome neighbors. We were supposed to rescue some diplomat,” he intoned, playing at charming nonchalance. Aitahea’s lips curled in a smile again. “But it seems the folks you helped felt they needed to return the favor first. We just brought the medkit.”

“Oh!” Aitahea marveled, eyes aglow, as she pieced together the last few hours. “It was you who took back the Spears!”

“Guilty as charged, Master Jedi,” Erithon replied, basking in her attention. She’d been in his thoughts so often. He’d found himself scanning through his messages for her name every time he’d had a reasonable signal. There’d been no more dreams of her since Taris – at least not of them as children again, anyway – and this wasn’t the exact reunion he’d hoped for, but having her whole and close was better than he could have asked, even under these unusual circumstances.

Then again, this was starting to look more like the norm for them.

“It seems you two know each other.” Organa’s eyes danced, amusement lightening his knowing tone.

Aitahea’s eyes flickered from the duke to Erithon and back, her smile shy but bright. “On Taris, Your Grace, we retrieved impossibly valuable data from the wreck of an old starship. The mission was a great success.”

“I beg your pardon, Master Jedi, but I think it’s advisable that you see a medic once we’ve returned to Organa Castle,” Elara said, gathering up the few items she’d removed from her pack. “Otherwise your condition seems to be improving rapidly.”

Aitahea nodded, her attention shifting past the sergeant to where Qyzen Fess and Aric Jorgan approached, led by Brant Sonn. “Good. Because I don’t think we’re finished here.”

Erithon observed the scowl on Jorgan’s face before turning back to Aitahea, rising slowly but steadily. “Are you sure you’re up for that? You were out cold just a few minutes ago.”

“Whatever your companion administered is working quickly, and I have the Force with me, as always. All will be well.” Aitahea studied him, and he couldn’t help shuffling sheepishly under her reserved scrutiny. “I am… so pleased to see you, Lieutenant.”

He shrugged casually, but a gratifying warmth had settled quite firmly in his chest. “Erithon is fine, you know, if it’s okay with you.”

Her lips parted, the shade of a smile appearing before she looked toward their waiting allies.

“We have a problem,” Jorgan said. “The Thul army is on the march again. General?” He lifted a holocomm, the bluish projection brightening the dark corner of the warehouse as General Kashim appeared.

“It is good to see you alive. Matters are moving quickly, and House Organa is in dire need of reinforcement.”

“What can we do to help?” Aitahea asked, steadying herself with a hand on Erithon’s arm. He found himself biting his lip to avoid interrupting the Jedi with an admonishment for offering her assistance, knowing full well – after a moment of careful consideration – that she knew her boundaries better than he would. As much as he wanted her out of harm’s way, that wasn’t in the cards for either of them.

“The Empire has sent several Sith apprentices to support the Thul army. Organa soldiers are proving no match.”

Those gathered murmured their concern, but Aitahea looked positively alarmed. “Sith, even apprentices, are not to be trifled with.”

“We’re used to fighting blasters,” Brant Sonn added with a deep frown. “Not the Force.”

Kashim continued over the holo. “So long as the Sith are in place, we cannot win this battle. You must make a full assault on their war camps immediately.”

Aitahea dropped her head, resignation darkening her words. “It seems peace must wait.”

“This is the greatest challenge House Organa has faced. If we win, Thul will be repelled, and we can go on the offensive.”

“Aitahea, I can hardly ask you to risk yourself once again, but it seems I have no choice,” Charle Organa added, shaking his head in disbelief. “If we lose, House Organa will be forced into exile.”

Aitahea drew a sharp breath at his admission, fingers tightening on Erithon’s armored wrist. “Your Grace, I will not allow that to happen.”

Organa smiled tightly. “I expected nothing less from a paladin of my house. And you have strong, courageous allies.” The duke nodded at Erithon, who returned a practiced salute.

“May the Force be with you,” General Kashim added as his final word, and the comm went dark.

The Jedi lifted her eyes to Erithon’s again, clear and determined. “We have work to do.”

Best Intentions Masterpost | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Bonus! Soundtrack @ Spotify

[onwardintolight]

Canon Catchup

With TROS coming out soon, I’ve been doing a lot of catchup on canon material that I’ve missed, particularly that which I think will be most relevant either for the movie or for Resistance Reborn (which I finished yesterday and will talk more about below). I will avoid major spoilers, as excited as I may be about some of them, haha, but I wanted to write out a few of my thoughts here while they’re fairly fresh.

A Crash of Fate by Zoraida Córdova and Galaxy’s Edge by Delilah Dawson—these don’t seem quite as relevant to TROS, but I read these two Galaxy’s Edge tie-in novels a few months ago and I thought I’d say a few words. I REALLY enjoyed the A Crash of Fate; it was such a lovely, heartwrenchingly beautiful story that reminded me a little of Lost Stars in the way that it focused in on a friendship/romance between two people who wouldn’t ever be main characters in the movies. The story was told primarily over the span of a single day, and wow did I not expect my heart to be pulled in so many different directions. Definitely one I will read again and again. 

I’m not sure I’ll do the same with Galaxy’s Edge. It was a super fun read, with some great, Indiana Jones-like action sequences, and I’d recommend giving it a go especially if you’re planning on ever going to Galaxy’s Edge—but it also had a few seriously problematic elements that I just couldn’t overlook. For one, NO WAY is Leia going to force Vi to work closely with someone who tortured her, and speaking of torture, many black people have already commented on the problematic nature of the excessive violence Vi undergoes in this book.

TFA and TLJ Junior Novelizations by Michael Kogge—I wanted to get a refresher on these stories, and since I’d never read the junior versions, I decided to give them a try. Overall I enjoyed these quite a bit. The TFA one was way better imho than the adult novelization by Alan Dean Foster, and both had some really meaningful character moments. There was one Leia scene at the end of the TFA one that brought me to tears.

Aftermath: Life Debt and Aftermath: Empire’s End by Chuck Wendig—I’d originally read the Aftermath trilogy as each book was released, but with everything I was hearing about Resistance Reborn, AND with the return of Palpatine in TROS and the promise of finally figuring out what’s been going on in the Unknown Regions, I thought it was a perfect time to revisit it. I skipped the first one (my least favorite of the three, and also my copy is in a box somewhere from when we moved last and the library’s audiobook copies were checked out) and read a synopsis instead to refresh my memory, then dived straight into Life Debt. Both of these books were as good or better than I remember them. I enjoyed them the first time, but I enjoyed them even better this time around. I feel like they’ve gained even more significance now. My HanLeia shippy heart is happy with some of their scenes, and also I rediscovered that I absolutely adore and would probably die for Norra, Wedge, Jas, Sinjir, Temmin, and crew.

Spark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland—this was a super cute but ultimately rather forgettable junior novel. The best part about it was seeing Rey, Poe, and Rose interacting. I may revisit it sometime after TROS and see if my unexpectedly skyrocketing feels for these characters (see below) makes it better.

The Poe Dameron comic run—I’d previously read the first trade (Black Squadron), the third (Legend Lost), and maybe a tiny bit of the second (The Gathering Storm), and aside from a really poignant bit in Legend Lost I just didn’t find myself very invested. This time around, however, flipped that on its head. Trades 4 and 5 (Legend Found and The Spark and the Fire) completely did me in, and without warning, I found myself 100% invested in Black Squadron. Poe, Jess, Snap, Karé, Suralinda, and L’ulo have officially joined the Aftermath crew in my list of characters I would die for. I just want all my babies to be okay! There were numerous moments in those last two trades (including the AMAZING Annual #2, a must-read for HanLeia new canon fans) which made me cry. I’m not even joking. So good. Well done, Charles Soule.

Resistance Reborn by Rebecca Roanhorse—Buckle up because I have a lot to say! I HIGHLY recommend reading the Aftermath trilogy, Bloodline, the Poe Dameron comics, and watching the Battlefront II campaign (which I talked about in another post) before reading this because HOLY MOLY. You won’t be lost if you don’t, but it will mean so much more to you if you do. Speaking of crying, I literally lost count of the moments that brought me to tears, and so many were significant because of how all the stories I mentioned and more have been so beautifully interconnected in this one. Wedge and Norra, Zay and Shriv, and so many others—each was given their due and it was amazing. One character’s surprise appearance had me practically on my knees with joy and heartbreak all at once, and I would say more but I’m really trying to keep that promise not spoil you, haha. 

If the Poe Dameron comic weren’t enough to win me over, this book has officially cemented Poe as one of my favorite sequel trilogy characters. Tbh, I’ve had trouble feeling much of a deep connection with any of the sequel trilogy leads—I love them, sure, but not like Leia, Han and Luke, the trio I grew up with. I’ve wanted to love them more, I’ve wanted to be more invested in them, but it just hasn’t happened. I’m really glad I read this book before TROS, because I think this has changed that. I was definitely getting a few OT golden trio vibes with Rey, Finn, and of course, my Boi™ Poe—except they’re completely their own characters, and I’m really starting to love them for who they are.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book, it felt really meaningful, and I can’t wait to read it again. 

That being said, when I finished it yesterday I felt a little bit disappointed, like it tasted a little bit bittersweet. I’m still trying to figure out why that is, but I think it may be down to three things: 

1) Though there were a number of fantastic character reveals, there were some obvious people absent and I can’t help but wonder where they are. I hope they’re not dead. I hope TROS includes some of these characters, too. I hope we get the rest of their stories either way.

2) The book is way too short. Especially on the heels of the Aftermath trilogy, this feels like only the first act of at least three. The ending comes way too soon, just after it really seems to get going. This I don’t blame the author or the publishers for at all; they are very limited, after all, in what they can portray leading up to TROS. But it really left me longing for more. This book had such a wonderful focus on character, but in the end, I wanted to see the character arcs get even more resolved than they do here... but I guess they really couldn’t be, and that’s what TROS is for. I just hope the movie does it well! I need all these people to be okay <3

3) It doesn’t shy away from grief, struggle, and the mental cost of war. Honestly, that’s part of why I love it so much, but I think that’s also part of why it left me feeling a little melancholy. The Resistance is in such a seemingly hopeless place, and while things do get better over the course of the book, there’s still such a terribly long way to go.The First Order rains merciless terror on anyone or any planet who gives even the slightest hint of opposing them or of aiding the Resistance. The whole galaxy is afraid. Poe struggles deeply with guilt and with how to make up for the horrible mistakes he made in TLJ (this is not brushed off in the slightest, not by the book or by the characters in it, and I appreciate that). Rey is confused and still unsure of her place in things. Characters are faced with the fact that they will almost certainly die because of their choice to join the Resistance, and it’s heavy. And Leia. Oh, Leia. I am deeply grateful to Roanhorse for her very realistic portrayal of Leia as someone who has lost so incredibly much (most recently her husband and brother), most definitely has PTSD, and probably is dealing with a bit of depression. Leia is weary. Leia struggles to keep stepping forward, struggles to figure out the next step for those she leads. Leia struggles to keep hoping. The battle between hope and despair in the face of terrible loss and terrible odds is very much felt in this book. But as ever with Leia, hope always wins in the end. By the end of the book, you can still feel the struggle, but hope wins. 

I think that because I personally relate so much to Leia, reading some of that was hard. Not because I feel like it’s contrary to who Leia is, but because I resonate with it so much and because it reminds me in a particularly strong way of some of the struggles I’ve dealt with that I’d like to forget. It’s no wonder that my heart felt heavy after I closed the book. But along with that, I also see how Leia perseveres, how she’s finally gotten to a place where she lets herself rely on and be comforted by others, and how she accomplishes the seemingly impossible just because she damned well refuses to give in to despair, no matter how tempting it may be. It reminds me that I, too, can accomplish incredible things despite all my struggles, despite the odds stacked against me.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book. Resistance Reborn hasn’t quite come up to the level of Bloodline or LPOA in my personal ranking, but with future rereads, it very well might someday. 

This book—along with all of this reading—has put me even more on the edge of my seat for TROS than I was before, if that’s possible. I desperately want it to be the best ending possible for the Skywalker Saga and for all these characters who’ve become so beloved to me. I’m trying to temper my expectation—TFA still isn’t especially my jam, after all, and while overall I’m a fan of the ST (the TROS trailers made me cry, for goodness sakes), I have a somewhat complicated relationship with it in general—but goddammit, I’m hoping anyway. There’s so much beautiful setup in the new canon EU, such a deliberate focus on character, and so many hints that this might reach through the whole saga and bring together something bigger than we can imagine. 

I’m hoping anyway.

[patriotsnet]

Who Has More Billionaires Democrats Or Republicans

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/who-has-more-billionaires-democrats-or-republicans/

Who Has More Billionaires Democrats Or Republicans

Tom Steyer And Kathryn Ann Taylor $598 Million

Steyer is an environmentalist and former hedge fund manager at Farallon Capital who made his fortune picking diamonds out of the dust, as one magazine put it. In 2012, Steyer walked away from his company to focus full time on political activism and philanthropy. He and his wife, Taylor, have an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion and have become top Democratic donors.

Steyer launched an online petition urging Trumps impeachment that has garnered 6.1 million signatures and made establishment Democrats uneasy. He opted not to donate any money to Democratic Party committees this year after Democrats in Congress voted to reopen the government despite failing to reach an immigration deal.

Steyer has pledged to spend nearly $120 million in the 2018 midterm campaign, including $70 million to NextGen America, his nonprofit focused on climate change that is helping register and turn out young voters and people of color. Speaking to a student on the Cal State Fullerton campus this fall, Steyer said, You can change this world, or it can be run by a bunch of arrogant, entitled, rich white old men.

A spokesman for Steyer says much of the money he spends wont be documented by campaign finance filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission but in IRS filings due next year.

These Are The 10 Billionaires Who Influence Politics In America The Most

When Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars sang about how much they wanted to be billionaires, mostly they were interested in living the good life for themselves. Actual billionaires in the United States have found avenues for their money that accomplish much more. Given the vast amount of wealth they control and their outsized role in the American political process, the extremely rich have access to corridors of power in America the rest of us can only dream of.

The Brookings Institution’s Darrell West devised a ranking to sort out which of these larger-than-life figures are the most politically powerful, factoring in “campaign expenditures, activism through nonprofit organizations and foundations, holding public office, media ownership, policy thought leadership and behind-the-scenes influence.” Ranging from media moguls to high-profile philanthropists to serving Cabinet members, here are the real top 10 influencers on American political thought and action today.

Linkedin Cofounder Reid Hoffman Donated $9315826 Mostly To Democrats

Total donations: $9,315,826

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: $1.9 billion

Reid Hoffman was an early employee of PayPal and one of the first investors in Facebook, according to Forbes. Hoffman founded Linkedin in 2003. Hoffman sold LinkedIn for $26.2 billion to Microsoft in 2016 and now sits on Microsoft’s board, according to Forbes.

Hoffman gave $8,317,326 to Democrats and $433,500 to Republicans in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 

Heiress Deborah Simon Donated $97 Million To Democrats

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: Unknown

Deborah Simon is the daughter of Indiana shopping mall developer Melvin Simon. Simon inherited a portion of her father’s fortune after a bitter legal battle over his estate with her stepmother Bren Simon, according to Forbes. 

Simon’s family had a net worth of $6.8 billion in 2014, according to Forbes.

Americas Top 20 Ceos Donated To The Midterm Elections At Republicans And Democrats:

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com

John B. Hess, Hess Corp.Total: $877,600

Stephen Wynn, Wynn Resorts LimitedTotal: $797,467

James Rupert Murdoch, Twenty-First Century FoxTotal: $506,666

Stephen James Luczo, Seagate TechnologyTotal: $469,825

Steven Roth, Vornado Realty TrustTotal: $432,400

Leslie Herbert Wexner, L BrandsTotal: $359,700

Timothy C. Wentworth, Express Scripts HoldingTotal: $262,594

Mark J. Alles, Celgene CorporationTotal: $195,682

Ian C. Read, Pfizer Inc.Total: $181,833

Joel S. Marcus, Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesTotal: $175,400

David M. Zaslav, Discovery, Inc.Total: $143,600

Gregory Q. Brown, Motorola SolutionsTotal: $132,150

David A. Ricks, Eli LillyTotal: $128,020

David N. Farr, Emerson Electric Co.Total: $127,033

Leonard S. Schleifer, Regeneron PharmaceuticalsTotal: $125,000Worlds Best CEOs Rank: #576

A. Jayson Adair, Copart

Charles William Ergen, DISH Network Corporation Total: $119,900Party: $51,300 DEM; $53,600 GOP

Marc N. Casper, Thermo Fisher ScientificTotal: $118,100

Robert A. Iger, Walt DisneyTotal: $111,800

Republicans Are Racist And Not Shy To Lie About It

Today’s republicans are not Abraham Lincoln alike. The neo-cons are all racist, like Donald Trump, Jan Brewer, Donald Sterling, Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Bob McDonnell… The name list just can go too long. Of course, not all republican are racists but their party has a racist culture and their public racist comments and behaviors are just too common and normal. If you talk about the history of two party, the republican party might not be that racist, but today’s republican are way more racist than any party out there. I’m neither a conservative nor liberal, that I’m independent. But I support democrat party because this party is not racist and try to direct the country’s culture to diversity and multiculturalism. It is just too late for those racist cons try to change the nation back to a white country, if you take into the consideration that there are almost 30% of people are minorities.

Submit

Us Democratic Fundraising Arm Outraises Republican Counterpart In July

Supporters of Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden gather with their cars for a socially distanced election celebration as they await Bidens remarks and fireworks in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. November 7, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 – The fundraising arm of the U.S. Democratic Party raised more money in July than its Republican counterpart, helped by big contributions from billionaire donors including investor George Soros and former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt.

Disclosures filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission showed the Democratic National Committee raised about $13.1 million last month, above the $12.9 million raised by the Republican National Committee.

The RNC still had more money in the bank at the close of the month – $79 million compared to nearly $68 million held by the DNC – although Democrats narrowed the gap.

Raising more money does not necessarily translate into Election Day victory, but a big bank account helps U.S. parties support their candidates’ campaigns and pays for ads and polling.

Democrats have narrow majorities in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, and losing control of either in the November 2022 contests would be a blow to Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.

Soros, a famed investor and a bogeyman of conservatives due to his status as a major donor for liberal causes, gave the DNC at least $250,000 in July.

Yes Republicans Are Racists

Their policies and programs result in cutting benefits for blacks and increasing benefits for whites – since due to discrimination blacks have a higher proportion getting assistance, and represent a smaller proportion of defense contractors. Their policies against Affirmative Action directly impact blacks, yet the Republicans have no policy against ending discrimination against blacks. You will never see Sarah Palin give a speech on the struggle of black Americans. You will never see a Tea Party representative give a speech about racial segregation in our society. The Tea Party Republicans think blacks have on average lower income and status in society not because of racism but because blacks ‘choose’ these lifestyles. Thus, their explanation of differences in racial incomes is based on race itself. By definition, most are in fact racist

Investor Timothy Mellon Gave $10 Million Mostly To Republicans

Total donations: $10,061,000

Party Affiliation: Republican

Net worth: $1 billion 

Timothy Mellon, the grandson of twentieth-century business magnate Andrew Mellon, funded the founding of New Hampshire-based railroad company, Guilford Transportation Industries, according to Forbes.

While most of Mellon’s donations were to conservatives, Mellon also gave $2,700 to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to The Guardian.

Billionaires Backed Republicans Who Sought To Reverse Us Election Results

Guardian analysis shows Club for Growth has spent $20m supporting 42 rightwing lawmakers who voted to invalidate Biden victory

An anti-tax group funded primarily by billionaires has emerged as one of the biggest backers of the Republican lawmakers who sought to overturn the US election results, according to an analysis by the Guardian.

The Club for Growth has supported the campaigns of 42 of the rightwing Republicans senators and members of the House of Representatives who voted last week to challenge US election results, doling out an estimated $20m to directly and indirectly support their campaigns in 2018 and 2020, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

About 30 of the Republican hardliners received more than $100,000 in indirect and direct support from the group.

The Club for Growths biggest beneficiaries include Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, the two Republican senators who led the effort to invalidate Joe Bidens electoral victory, and the newly elected far-right gun-rights activist Lauren Boebert, a QAnon conspiracy theorist. Boebert was criticised last week for tweeting about the House speaker Nancy Pelosis location during the attack on the Capitol, even after lawmakers were told not to do so by police.

Heres the thing about the hyper wealthy. They believe that their hyper-wealth grants them the ability to not be accountable

Neither the Club for Growth nor McIntosh responded to requests for comment.

James And Marilyn Simons

Amount donated: $20.1 million

The couple has supported some of the biggest outside groups in Democratic politics during the midterms.

James Simons, for instance, donated $10 million to a single group, the House Majority PAC, which worked to help the party win control of the chamber in 2018. Hes an MIT-educated mathematician, who founded Renaissance Technologies, a New York hedge fund.

Simons worth more than $21 billion, according to Forbes stepped away from day-to-day management of the fund in 2009. Their aides did not respond to interview requests.

Are America’s Richest Families Republicans Or Democrats

Forbes took at look at the 50 richest clans on our new list of Americas Richest Families. There are a handful of politicians in the mix, and an overwhelming majority that support one political party far more than another.

Some of Americas wealthiest families wear their politics on their sleeves. Charles and David Koch, notorious for their support of right-wing causes, donated more than $2.2 million during the 2012 election, nearly all to Republican candidates. Jon and Patricia

Other members of rich clans have stepped into the political fray themselves. Penny Pritkzer, part of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, became President Obamas Commerce Secretary in June 2013. Mark Dayton, an heir to the Dayton family fortune is a Democrat and the current governor of Minnesota. Pete du Pont, descendant of the founder of chemical giant DuPont, was a Republican governor of Delaware from 1977 to 1985 and ran for president in 1988. Dolph Briscoe, Jr., member of the Briscoe ranching family, was a Democrat and governor of Texas from 1973 to 1979. Ross Perot, Sr., is famous for his two impressive but unsuccessful presidential runs as an Independent. He and his son have donated to both parties, but they lean Republican.

Infographic: David Lada

One caveat: Some of these family fortunes are shared among dozens or even hundreds of people, so we were only able to track political donations of a subset of prominent members.

1. Walton Republican

James And Marilyn Simons Gave $22 Million To Democrats

Total donations: $22,165,010

Net worth: $21.6 billion

James Simons, the founder of quantitative hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, was named the highest-paid hedge fund manager of 2019 by Forbes. James and his wife, economist and philanthropist Marilyn Simons, are also major donors to Stony Brook University, where they met, according to Bloomberg.

Bezos Buffett Branson: What Do Americans Think Of Billionaires

With three billionaires featuring prominently in the news recently for their space race antics, the latest Economist/YouGov poll examines how popular a collection of the worlds richest people is among the U.S. public. 

The men who are attempting private space expeditions may be doing something that most Americans support, though they are not especially liked as individuals. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and owner of space firm Blue Origin, receives favorable reviews from only 28% of people, compared to 50% who view him critically. 

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is divisive, with 39% approving of him but 38% disapproving. Musk receives much more positive judgments from Republicans  than Democrats . 

British billionaire Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin conglomerate including Virgin Galactic whose spacecraft took him to orbit last week  is seen as more popular than not , although perhaps because more Americans have not heard of him . 

Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg is the most negatively viewed  of all the billionaires we asked about. This is particularly the case among Republicans, 69% of whom dislike him, although half of Democrats also dislike the social media CEO . 

Related: Americans support sending astronauts to the moon and Mars

Image: Getty 

Not A Generalization But The Majority Of Racists Are Republican

OK, as current proof of my point, http://img3.allvoices.com/thumbs/image/609/480/95031869-vote-romney.jpgSorry for the long link, but it completely proves my point. RACIST!Also, it is not uncommon for people to hold up highly offensive posters at rallies, speeches etc. For example, one said ‘Impeach the half-breed Muslim’ . Tell me again that that isn’t racist. I also want to make the point that NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS! PEOPLE SHOULDN”T CARE IF THEIR PRESIDENT IS MUSLIM ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!! I actually know many Muslims and they are awesome and some of the nicest people on earth . Just because some Muslims screwed up doesn’t mean that every Muslim is the same way. Don’t pull the argument about slavery, the parties have morphed and current examples are better.

Congress: More Democrat Millionaires Than Republican And Here’s Why

In a report from AllGov.com, we learn that for the first time more than half of all members of Congress are millionaires. But whats really interesting about the story is that it tells us there are more Democrats than Republicans in Congress who are millionaires.

That is not surprising to some of us, but it might be to a lot of people who have bought the Democrat/lamestream media narrative that Republicans are the party of the rich.

Let me tell you why this really is.

First, lets understand there is nothing wrong with being a millionaire, or a billionaire for that matter. Contrary to what the rhetoric of the Democratic Party suggests, the vast majority of rich people have earned their fortunes by working hard and accomplishing things that have benefited others. That includes those who have made their money by investing, because they have put their capital at risk to help finance businesses that create jobs and produce goods and services people want and need.

Having said that, how can it be that there are more Democrat millionaires than Republican millionaires when everyone knows the conventional wisdom that Democrats are the party of the working man and Republicans are the party of the rich?

Because thats a load of crap, thats how.

People who pursue business careers and later decide to run for Congress often do so because they see what a big problem the meddling of government is for the business community. And as you might expect, they run as Republicans.

There Is A Lot Of Flawed Logic Here

Anyone who equates conservative or Republican with racist is the exact thing they are projecting on others. Plain and simple.Racism is simply the lumping together of large groups of people and claiming they all have the same traits. Anyone who says that all conservatives are racist is exactly the same. The most racist people I have ever met have been liberals. But that doesn’t mean I think all liberals are racists. That’s absurd. But you continue on making generalizations about people you don’t even know. That just shows how tolerant and open-minded you really are.

These Democratic Billionaires Could Help Shape The 2020 Election

A small cluster of Democrats, led by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, donated a combined $226 million to outside groups in the 2018 midterms for Congress, or nearly $1 out of every $5 spent by outside groups in those elections.

The spending helped Democrats win back the House. Now, some of these mega-donors including the billionaire pro-impeachment activist Tom Steyer are poised to help shape the 2020 races for the presidency and Congress.

Heres a glance at the Democrats five biggest donors and the amounts they donated to outside groups at the federal level in the 2018 election cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics:

How Americans Feel About Billionaires During The Pandemic

The pandemic has exacerbated wealth inequality, and many Americans are resentful of the fact that while they struggled, the wealthy made significant gains.

This unease is reflected in questions that speak to Americans more generalized opinions about the top 1 percent, which were generally shared across the political spectrum. Only 23 percent of those polled said they consider billionaires to be good role models for the country, while 65 percent said they dont.

Similarly, only 36 percent said they had generally positive feelings about billionaires, as opposed to 49 percent who said they did not. Black Americans said they had much more positive feelings about billionaires than did members of other racial subgroups: 45 percent said they felt positively, while only 39 percent said they felt negatively. Democrats were also more likely to be anti-billionaire than Republicans.

And yet Americans are broadly dismissive of some progressive rhetoric about something being fundamentally wrong with a society that features billionaires. Around 82 percent say they agree with the statement that people should be allowed to become billionaires similarly, 68 percent say they disagree that its immoral for a society to allow people to become billionaires.

Former Breitbart News Investor Robert Mercer And His Wife Diana Have Given $6544024 To Conservatives

Total donations: $6,544,024

Party: Republican

Net worth: Unknown

Robert Mercer, 73, is the former co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund valued at $50 million in 2017, according to The New York Times. Mercer left the hedge fund in 2017 after clients, including the retirement fund for Baltimore’s police and firefighters, withdrew their investments from Renaissance over concern about Mercer’s political donations and involvement with Breitbart, The Times reported.

The $6.5 million that Robert and his wife Diana donated to Republicans in 2018 was the smallest figure they’ve given in any election cycle since 2012, CNBC reported. The couple, once among President Trump’s biggest supporters, have become fatigued by the resulting media attention, sources told CNBC.

The Philosophy Behind Republican Economic Policy

Republicans advocate supply-side economics that primarily benefits businesses and investors. This theory states that tax cuts on businesses allow them to hire more workers, in turn increasing demand and growth. In theory, the increased revenue from a stronger economy offsets the initial revenue loss over time.

Republicans advocate the right to pursue prosperity without government interference. They argue this is achieved by self-discipline, enterprise, saving, and investing.

Republicans business-friendly approach leads most people to believe that they are better for the economy. A closer look reveals that Democrats are, in many respects, actually better.

Jeff And Mackenzie Bezos $102 Million

The founder of Amazon and his wife, MacKenzie, made their first major political donation this September to a nonpartisan fund dedicated to helping elect veterans of all stripes to Congress. They have since tried to toe the middle road, handing $10,800 to Democrats and $16,200 to Republicans this cycle. Their top individual recipients have been Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Cory Gardner .

Bezos, the worlds richest person, has faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Trump has attacked him via Twitter over his ownership of the Washington Post; Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized him over the wages he pays his Amazon warehouse employees.

The Bezoses other top financial contributions this cycle have been to nonpartisan political action committees connected with Amazon and Blue Origin, his rocket company.

Richard And Elizabeth Uihlein $391 Million

Richard Uihlein is founder and CEO of shipping supply giant Uline. The Uihleins have been longtime donors to conservative politics in their home state of Illinois and nationwide, particularly aimed at achieving a more conservative judicial system.

The couple were major backers of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, and they bankrolled Janus vs. AFSCME, a Supreme Court case that succeeded in banning mandatory fees funding public employee unions.

The candidates and groups the Uihleins have backed are among the most conservative in the GOP, opposing abortion and transgender rights.

Uihlein and his wife maintain a low profile, rarely giving interviews.

The Nations Wealthiest Are More Likely To Be Republican Than The Average Americanbut Just About As Likely To Be Voting For Biden

How are Americas billionaires voting in the 2020 presidential election? 

If you think theyre all coming out in support of their fellow Forbes 400 member, Donald Trump, youd be wrong. Over the past month Forbes sent every billionaire in the U.S. a brief election survey. We got 42 responses, from billionaires spanning the political spectrum. 

The biggest takeaway: These billionaires are more likely to be Republican than the average Americanbut just about as likely to be voting for Joe Biden. 

A recent Gallup poll shows that 28% of Americans identify as Republicans, 27% identify as Democrats and 42% identify as independents. Our billionaire cohort skewed farther right: 43% Republicans, 24% Democrats and 33% independents. Yet theyre swaying blue. Nearly half, or 48%, say theyre casting a ballot for Biden, compared to 40% for Trump. That tracks with the larger population, which favors Biden to Trump 51-42, according to RealClearPolitics RCP Poll Average. It also tracks with Federal Election Commission data, which shows more billionaires opening their wallets to support Biden than Trump.

Nearly as important as their votes is the billionaires money. Twenty-six billionaires say theyve donated money to a campaign this year, 26 also say theyve given to a political action committee, ten say theyve attended a fundraiser and four say theyve hosted a fundraiser themselves. Only seven of the 42 respondents say they havent done anything to support a candidate this year.

For The First Time Half Of Members Of Congress Are Millionairesdemocrats Worth More Than Republicans

Members of Congress continued to get richer last year, resulting in more than 50% of lawmakers possessing a net worth of $1 million or moresomething thats never happened before in congressional history.

  Of 534 current members of Congress, at least 268 were millionaires, according the Center for Responsive Politics review of financial disclosure reports filed last year.

  The median net worth for the 530 lawmakers who were in Congress as of the May 2013 filing deadline was $1,008,767up from $966,000 during the previous year.

  The center also found that Democrats overall were a little wealthier than Republicans in Congress, $1.04 million versus $1 million.  Both groups saw their collective net worth go up, from $990,000 for Democrats and $907,000 for Republicans in the previous year.

  Democrats in the House were richer than their GOP counterparts, $929,000 versus $884,000. House Republicans, however, could boast having the richest member: Darrell Issa of California, who has had this distinction in other years. The Viper car-alarm magnate has a net worth of $464 million.

  In the Senate, the GOP caucus was noticeably wealthier than the Democratic caucus, $2.9 million versus $1.7 million.

    -Noel Brinkerhoff

S Donald Sussman $229 Million

A Florida native, Sussman founded New China Capital Management and the Paloma Fund, which was described in 2016 as a $4-billion hedge fund.

Sussman is a longtime donor to Bill and Hillary Clinton and was a prominent donor to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. This cycle, his biggest contributions have gone to Democratic behemoth Priorities USA PAC and the Senate Majority PAC, which is working to flip control of the Senate. He has also given to efforts to expand voter access and has said he is driven by a desire to elect candidates who will bring about campaign finance reform.

Its very odd to be giving millions when your objective is to actually get the money out of politics, he told the Washington Post in 2016.

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Who Has More Billionaires Democrats Or Republicans

Tom Steyer And Kathryn Ann Taylor $598 Million

Steyer is an environmentalist and former hedge fund manager at Farallon Capital who made his fortune picking diamonds out of the dust, as one magazine put it. In 2012, Steyer walked away from his company to focus full time on political activism and philanthropy. He and his wife, Taylor, have an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion and have become top Democratic donors.

Steyer launched an online petition urging Trumps impeachment that has garnered 6.1 million signatures and made establishment Democrats uneasy. He opted not to donate any money to Democratic Party committees this year after Democrats in Congress voted to reopen the government despite failing to reach an immigration deal.

Steyer has pledged to spend nearly $120 million in the 2018 midterm campaign, including $70 million to NextGen America, his nonprofit focused on climate change that is helping register and turn out young voters and people of color. Speaking to a student on the Cal State Fullerton campus this fall, Steyer said, You can change this world, or it can be run by a bunch of arrogant, entitled, rich white old men.

A spokesman for Steyer says much of the money he spends wont be documented by campaign finance filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission but in IRS filings due next year.

These Are The 10 Billionaires Who Influence Politics In America The Most

When Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars sang about how much they wanted to be billionaires, mostly they were interested in living the good life for themselves. Actual billionaires in the United States have found avenues for their money that accomplish much more. Given the vast amount of wealth they control and their outsized role in the American political process, the extremely rich have access to corridors of power in America the rest of us can only dream of.

The Brookings Institution’s Darrell West devised a ranking to sort out which of these larger-than-life figures are the most politically powerful, factoring in “campaign expenditures, activism through nonprofit organizations and foundations, holding public office, media ownership, policy thought leadership and behind-the-scenes influence.” Ranging from media moguls to high-profile philanthropists to serving Cabinet members, here are the real top 10 influencers on American political thought and action today.

Linkedin Cofounder Reid Hoffman Donated $9315826 Mostly To Democrats

Total donations: $9,315,826

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: $1.9 billion

Reid Hoffman was an early employee of PayPal and one of the first investors in Facebook, according to Forbes. Hoffman founded Linkedin in 2003. Hoffman sold LinkedIn for $26.2 billion to Microsoft in 2016 and now sits on Microsoft’s board, according to Forbes.

Hoffman gave $8,317,326 to Democrats and $433,500 to Republicans in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. 

Heiress Deborah Simon Donated $97 Million To Democrats

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: Unknown

Deborah Simon is the daughter of Indiana shopping mall developer Melvin Simon. Simon inherited a portion of her father’s fortune after a bitter legal battle over his estate with her stepmother Bren Simon, according to Forbes. 

Simon’s family had a net worth of $6.8 billion in 2014, according to Forbes.

Americas Top 20 Ceos Donated To The Midterm Elections At Republicans And Democrats:

Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com John B. Hess, Hess Corp.Total: $877,600 Stephen Wynn, Wynn Resorts LimitedTotal: $797,467 James Rupert Murdoch, Twenty-First Century FoxTotal: $506,666 Stephen James Luczo, Seagate TechnologyTotal: $469,825 Steven Roth, Vornado Realty TrustTotal: $432,400 Leslie Herbert Wexner, L BrandsTotal: $359,700 Timothy C. Wentworth, Express Scripts HoldingTotal: $262,594 Mark J. Alles, Celgene CorporationTotal: $195,682 Ian C. Read, Pfizer Inc.Total: $181,833 Joel S. Marcus, Alexandria Real Estate EquitiesTotal: $175,400 David M. Zaslav, Discovery, Inc.Total: $143,600 Gregory Q. Brown, Motorola SolutionsTotal: $132,150 David A. Ricks, Eli LillyTotal: $128,020 David N. Farr, Emerson Electric Co.Total: $127,033 Leonard S. Schleifer, Regeneron PharmaceuticalsTotal: $125,000Worlds Best CEOs Rank: #576 A. Jayson Adair, Copart Charles William Ergen, DISH Network Corporation Total: $119,900Party: $51,300 DEM; $53,600 GOP Marc N. Casper, Thermo Fisher ScientificTotal: $118,100 Robert A. Iger, Walt DisneyTotal: $111,800

Republicans Are Racist And Not Shy To Lie About It

Today’s republicans are not Abraham Lincoln alike. The neo-cons are all racist, like Donald Trump, Jan Brewer, Donald Sterling, Mike Huckabee, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, Bob McDonnell… The name list just can go too long. Of course, not all republican are racists but their party has a racist culture and their public racist comments and behaviors are just too common and normal. If you talk about the history of two party, the republican party might not be that racist, but today’s republican are way more racist than any party out there. I’m neither a conservative nor liberal, that I’m independent. But I support democrat party because this party is not racist and try to direct the country’s culture to diversity and multiculturalism. It is just too late for those racist cons try to change the nation back to a white country, if you take into the consideration that there are almost 30% of people are minorities.

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Us Democratic Fundraising Arm Outraises Republican Counterpart In July

Supporters of Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden gather with their cars for a socially distanced election celebration as they await Bidens remarks and fireworks in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. November 7, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 – The fundraising arm of the U.S. Democratic Party raised more money in July than its Republican counterpart, helped by big contributions from billionaire donors including investor George Soros and former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt.

Disclosures filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission showed the Democratic National Committee raised about $13.1 million last month, above the $12.9 million raised by the Republican National Committee.

The RNC still had more money in the bank at the close of the month – $79 million compared to nearly $68 million held by the DNC – although Democrats narrowed the gap.

Raising more money does not necessarily translate into Election Day victory, but a big bank account helps U.S. parties support their candidates’ campaigns and pays for ads and polling.

Democrats have narrow majorities in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, and losing control of either in the November 2022 contests would be a blow to Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda.

Soros, a famed investor and a bogeyman of conservatives due to his status as a major donor for liberal causes, gave the DNC at least $250,000 in July.

Yes Republicans Are Racists

Their policies and programs result in cutting benefits for blacks and increasing benefits for whites – since due to discrimination blacks have a higher proportion getting assistance, and represent a smaller proportion of defense contractors. Their policies against Affirmative Action directly impact blacks, yet the Republicans have no policy against ending discrimination against blacks. You will never see Sarah Palin give a speech on the struggle of black Americans. You will never see a Tea Party representative give a speech about racial segregation in our society. The Tea Party Republicans think blacks have on average lower income and status in society not because of racism but because blacks ‘choose’ these lifestyles. Thus, their explanation of differences in racial incomes is based on race itself. By definition, most are in fact racist

Investor Timothy Mellon Gave $10 Million Mostly To Republicans

Total donations: $10,061,000

Party Affiliation: Republican

Net worth: $1 billion 

Timothy Mellon, the grandson of twentieth-century business magnate Andrew Mellon, funded the founding of New Hampshire-based railroad company, Guilford Transportation Industries, according to Forbes.

While most of Mellon’s donations were to conservatives, Mellon also gave $2,700 to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to The Guardian.

Billionaires Backed Republicans Who Sought To Reverse Us Election Results

Guardian analysis shows Club for Growth has spent $20m supporting 42 rightwing lawmakers who voted to invalidate Biden victory

An anti-tax group funded primarily by billionaires has emerged as one of the biggest backers of the Republican lawmakers who sought to overturn the US election results, according to an analysis by the Guardian.

The Club for Growth has supported the campaigns of 42 of the rightwing Republicans senators and members of the House of Representatives who voted last week to challenge US election results, doling out an estimated $20m to directly and indirectly support their campaigns in 2018 and 2020, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

About 30 of the Republican hardliners received more than $100,000 in indirect and direct support from the group.

The Club for Growths biggest beneficiaries include Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, the two Republican senators who led the effort to invalidate Joe Bidens electoral victory, and the newly elected far-right gun-rights activist Lauren Boebert, a QAnon conspiracy theorist. Boebert was criticised last week for tweeting about the House speaker Nancy Pelosis location during the attack on the Capitol, even after lawmakers were told not to do so by police.

Heres the thing about the hyper wealthy. They believe that their hyper-wealth grants them the ability to not be accountable

Neither the Club for Growth nor McIntosh responded to requests for comment.

James And Marilyn Simons

Amount donated: $20.1 million

The couple has supported some of the biggest outside groups in Democratic politics during the midterms.

James Simons, for instance, donated $10 million to a single group, the House Majority PAC, which worked to help the party win control of the chamber in 2018. Hes an MIT-educated mathematician, who founded Renaissance Technologies, a New York hedge fund.

Simons worth more than $21 billion, according to Forbes stepped away from day-to-day management of the fund in 2009. Their aides did not respond to interview requests.

Are America’s Richest Families Republicans Or Democrats

Forbes took at look at the 50 richest clans on our new list of Americas Richest Families. There are a handful of politicians in the mix, and an overwhelming majority that support one political party far more than another.

Some of Americas wealthiest families wear their politics on their sleeves. Charles and David Koch, notorious for their support of right-wing causes, donated more than $2.2 million during the 2012 election, nearly all to Republican candidates. Jon and Patricia

Other members of rich clans have stepped into the political fray themselves. Penny Pritkzer, part of the family that owns the Hyatt hotel chain, became President Obamas Commerce Secretary in June 2013. Mark Dayton, an heir to the Dayton family fortune is a Democrat and the current governor of Minnesota. Pete du Pont, descendant of the founder of chemical giant DuPont, was a Republican governor of Delaware from 1977 to 1985 and ran for president in 1988. Dolph Briscoe, Jr., member of the Briscoe ranching family, was a Democrat and governor of Texas from 1973 to 1979. Ross Perot, Sr., is famous for his two impressive but unsuccessful presidential runs as an Independent. He and his son have donated to both parties, but they lean Republican.

Infographic: David Lada

One caveat: Some of these family fortunes are shared among dozens or even hundreds of people, so we were only able to track political donations of a subset of prominent members.

1. Walton Republican

James And Marilyn Simons Gave $22 Million To Democrats

Total donations: $22,165,010

Net worth: $21.6 billion

James Simons, the founder of quantitative hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, was named the highest-paid hedge fund manager of 2019 by Forbes. James and his wife, economist and philanthropist Marilyn Simons, are also major donors to Stony Brook University, where they met, according to Bloomberg.

Bezos Buffett Branson: What Do Americans Think Of Billionaires

With three billionaires featuring prominently in the news recently for their space race antics, the latest Economist/YouGov poll examines how popular a collection of the worlds richest people is among the U.S. public. 

The men who are attempting private space expeditions may be doing something that most Americans support, though they are not especially liked as individuals. Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and owner of space firm Blue Origin, receives favorable reviews from only 28% of people, compared to 50% who view him critically. 

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is divisive, with 39% approving of him but 38% disapproving. Musk receives much more positive judgments from Republicans  than Democrats . 

British billionaire Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin conglomerate including Virgin Galactic whose spacecraft took him to orbit last week  is seen as more popular than not , although perhaps because more Americans have not heard of him . 

Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg is the most negatively viewed  of all the billionaires we asked about. This is particularly the case among Republicans, 69% of whom dislike him, although half of Democrats also dislike the social media CEO . 

Related: Americans support sending astronauts to the moon and Mars

Image: Getty 

Not A Generalization But The Majority Of Racists Are Republican

OK, as current proof of my point, https://ift.tt/3jpQSob for the long link, but it completely proves my point. RACIST!Also, it is not uncommon for people to hold up highly offensive posters at rallies, speeches etc. For example, one said ‘Impeach the half-breed Muslim’ . Tell me again that that isn’t racist. I also want to make the point that NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS! PEOPLE SHOULDN”T CARE IF THEIR PRESIDENT IS MUSLIM ANYWAYS!!!!!!!!! I actually know many Muslims and they are awesome and some of the nicest people on earth . Just because some Muslims screwed up doesn’t mean that every Muslim is the same way. Don’t pull the argument about slavery, the parties have morphed and current examples are better.

Congress: More Democrat Millionaires Than Republican And Here’s Why

In a report from AllGov.com, we learn that for the first time more than half of all members of Congress are millionaires. But whats really interesting about the story is that it tells us there are more Democrats than Republicans in Congress who are millionaires.

That is not surprising to some of us, but it might be to a lot of people who have bought the Democrat/lamestream media narrative that Republicans are the party of the rich.

Let me tell you why this really is.

First, lets understand there is nothing wrong with being a millionaire, or a billionaire for that matter. Contrary to what the rhetoric of the Democratic Party suggests, the vast majority of rich people have earned their fortunes by working hard and accomplishing things that have benefited others. That includes those who have made their money by investing, because they have put their capital at risk to help finance businesses that create jobs and produce goods and services people want and need.

Having said that, how can it be that there are more Democrat millionaires than Republican millionaires when everyone knows the conventional wisdom that Democrats are the party of the working man and Republicans are the party of the rich?

Because thats a load of crap, thats how.

People who pursue business careers and later decide to run for Congress often do so because they see what a big problem the meddling of government is for the business community. And as you might expect, they run as Republicans.

There Is A Lot Of Flawed Logic Here

Anyone who equates conservative or Republican with racist is the exact thing they are projecting on others. Plain and simple.Racism is simply the lumping together of large groups of people and claiming they all have the same traits. Anyone who says that all conservatives are racist is exactly the same. The most racist people I have ever met have been liberals. But that doesn’t mean I think all liberals are racists. That’s absurd. But you continue on making generalizations about people you don’t even know. That just shows how tolerant and open-minded you really are.

These Democratic Billionaires Could Help Shape The 2020 Election

A small cluster of Democrats, led by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, donated a combined $226 million to outside groups in the 2018 midterms for Congress, or nearly $1 out of every $5 spent by outside groups in those elections.

The spending helped Democrats win back the House. Now, some of these mega-donors including the billionaire pro-impeachment activist Tom Steyer are poised to help shape the 2020 races for the presidency and Congress.

Heres a glance at the Democrats five biggest donors and the amounts they donated to outside groups at the federal level in the 2018 election cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics:

How Americans Feel About Billionaires During The Pandemic

The pandemic has exacerbated wealth inequality, and many Americans are resentful of the fact that while they struggled, the wealthy made significant gains.

This unease is reflected in questions that speak to Americans more generalized opinions about the top 1 percent, which were generally shared across the political spectrum. Only 23 percent of those polled said they consider billionaires to be good role models for the country, while 65 percent said they dont.

Similarly, only 36 percent said they had generally positive feelings about billionaires, as opposed to 49 percent who said they did not. Black Americans said they had much more positive feelings about billionaires than did members of other racial subgroups: 45 percent said they felt positively, while only 39 percent said they felt negatively. Democrats were also more likely to be anti-billionaire than Republicans.

And yet Americans are broadly dismissive of some progressive rhetoric about something being fundamentally wrong with a society that features billionaires. Around 82 percent say they agree with the statement that people should be allowed to become billionaires similarly, 68 percent say they disagree that its immoral for a society to allow people to become billionaires.

Former Breitbart News Investor Robert Mercer And His Wife Diana Have Given $6544024 To Conservatives

Total donations: $6,544,024

Party: Republican

Net worth: Unknown

Robert Mercer, 73, is the former co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund valued at $50 million in 2017, according to The New York Times. Mercer left the hedge fund in 2017 after clients, including the retirement fund for Baltimore’s police and firefighters, withdrew their investments from Renaissance over concern about Mercer’s political donations and involvement with Breitbart, The Times reported.

The $6.5 million that Robert and his wife Diana donated to Republicans in 2018 was the smallest figure they’ve given in any election cycle since 2012, CNBC reported. The couple, once among President Trump’s biggest supporters, have become fatigued by the resulting media attention, sources told CNBC.

The Philosophy Behind Republican Economic Policy

Republicans advocate supply-side economics that primarily benefits businesses and investors. This theory states that tax cuts on businesses allow them to hire more workers, in turn increasing demand and growth. In theory, the increased revenue from a stronger economy offsets the initial revenue loss over time.

Republicans advocate the right to pursue prosperity without government interference. They argue this is achieved by self-discipline, enterprise, saving, and investing.

Republicans business-friendly approach leads most people to believe that they are better for the economy. A closer look reveals that Democrats are, in many respects, actually better.

Jeff And Mackenzie Bezos $102 Million

The founder of Amazon and his wife, MacKenzie, made their first major political donation this September to a nonpartisan fund dedicated to helping elect veterans of all stripes to Congress. They have since tried to toe the middle road, handing $10,800 to Democrats and $16,200 to Republicans this cycle. Their top individual recipients have been Sen. Maria Cantwell and Sen. Cory Gardner .

Bezos, the worlds richest person, has faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Trump has attacked him via Twitter over his ownership of the Washington Post; Sen. Bernie Sanders criticized him over the wages he pays his Amazon warehouse employees.

The Bezoses other top financial contributions this cycle have been to nonpartisan political action committees connected with Amazon and Blue Origin, his rocket company.

Richard And Elizabeth Uihlein $391 Million

Richard Uihlein is founder and CEO of shipping supply giant Uline. The Uihleins have been longtime donors to conservative politics in their home state of Illinois and nationwide, particularly aimed at achieving a more conservative judicial system.

The couple were major backers of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and failed U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore, and they bankrolled Janus vs. AFSCME, a Supreme Court case that succeeded in banning mandatory fees funding public employee unions.

The candidates and groups the Uihleins have backed are among the most conservative in the GOP, opposing abortion and transgender rights.

Uihlein and his wife maintain a low profile, rarely giving interviews.

The Nations Wealthiest Are More Likely To Be Republican Than The Average Americanbut Just About As Likely To Be Voting For Biden

How are Americas billionaires voting in the 2020 presidential election? 

If you think theyre all coming out in support of their fellow Forbes 400 member, Donald Trump, youd be wrong. Over the past month Forbes sent every billionaire in the U.S. a brief election survey. We got 42 responses, from billionaires spanning the political spectrum. 

The biggest takeaway: These billionaires are more likely to be Republican than the average Americanbut just about as likely to be voting for Joe Biden. 

A recent Gallup poll shows that 28% of Americans identify as Republicans, 27% identify as Democrats and 42% identify as independents. Our billionaire cohort skewed farther right: 43% Republicans, 24% Democrats and 33% independents. Yet theyre swaying blue. Nearly half, or 48%, say theyre casting a ballot for Biden, compared to 40% for Trump. That tracks with the larger population, which favors Biden to Trump 51-42, according to RealClearPolitics RCP Poll Average. It also tracks with Federal Election Commission data, which shows more billionaires opening their wallets to support Biden than Trump.

Nearly as important as their votes is the billionaires money. Twenty-six billionaires say theyve donated money to a campaign this year, 26 also say theyve given to a political action committee, ten say theyve attended a fundraiser and four say theyve hosted a fundraiser themselves. Only seven of the 42 respondents say they havent done anything to support a candidate this year.

For The First Time Half Of Members Of Congress Are Millionairesdemocrats Worth More Than Republicans

Members of Congress continued to get richer last year, resulting in more than 50% of lawmakers possessing a net worth of $1 million or moresomething thats never happened before in congressional history.

  Of 534 current members of Congress, at least 268 were millionaires, according the Center for Responsive Politics review of financial disclosure reports filed last year.

  The median net worth for the 530 lawmakers who were in Congress as of the May 2013 filing deadline was $1,008,767up from $966,000 during the previous year.

  The center also found that Democrats overall were a little wealthier than Republicans in Congress, $1.04 million versus $1 million.  Both groups saw their collective net worth go up, from $990,000 for Democrats and $907,000 for Republicans in the previous year.

  Democrats in the House were richer than their GOP counterparts, $929,000 versus $884,000. House Republicans, however, could boast having the richest member: Darrell Issa of California, who has had this distinction in other years. The Viper car-alarm magnate has a net worth of $464 million.

  In the Senate, the GOP caucus was noticeably wealthier than the Democratic caucus, $2.9 million versus $1.7 million.

    -Noel Brinkerhoff

S Donald Sussman $229 Million

A Florida native, Sussman founded New China Capital Management and the Paloma Fund, which was described in 2016 as a $4-billion hedge fund.

Sussman is a longtime donor to Bill and Hillary Clinton and was a prominent donor to Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. This cycle, his biggest contributions have gone to Democratic behemoth Priorities USA PAC and the Senate Majority PAC, which is working to flip control of the Senate. He has also given to efforts to expand voter access and has said he is driven by a desire to elect candidates who will bring about campaign finance reform.

Its very odd to be giving millions when your objective is to actually get the money out of politics, he told the Washington Post in 2016.

source https://www.patriotsnet.com/who-has-more-billionaires-democrats-or-republicans/

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Gesundheit! Fitness, Weightloss, Wine, Dessert and Clarity in Europe

While we borrowed “gesundheit” to mean good health when someone sneezes, it translates into health and fitness. Speaking of foreign countries and trasnlation, visit this article if you need to Professionally translate a document.

Why am I worried about gesundheit? Well because I barely made it to London, England on April 17th, before I had to jump on a plane to Vienna, Austria. Day one in Vienna I found myself in the gym at the Le Meridien dancing with my eyes closed to Tony Braxton and Loon’s “Hit the Freeway”. I had just finished weights and a bunch of other exercises and dancing was my reward to self for working out while on vacation in Europe. What was I thinking? I should be drunk off cheap wine or gin spritzers and stuffing my face with schnitzel!

Instead… Ich habe mich auf Reisen der Gesundheit verschrieben. (I was committed to health while traveling.)

When I missed my flight to London, I thought for sure my vacation started and stopped in that one moment. It was 4,000USD to change my premium economy ticket! That didn’t even include the change fee, smh.

I had carefully planned everything. I knew exactly what snacks I was bringing for Curry puppy and I packed all his food and snacks two days in advance and placed in the back of the X5. I checked with my nephew to see if the Trader Joe’s is still in West Hartford, Connecticut so I could buy his extras and I crossed him off my list. I was headed to CT so I can leave Curry while I chased clarity in Europe.

I woke up super early and packed my suitcase, Curry’s toys and bed in the car. As soon as I was about to leave, I let him outside to pee and he ran off to Charles’ house. Okay, I can dig. At 4am I didn’t want him running over to Trenton Place to Higgins’s house (his bestie), so him running next door was cool. Curry puppy was always trying to run off somewhere, it’s his little game he likes to play with mommy. A dangerous one at 4am. I got him back. Packed him in the car and I checked off him, my luggage, water, healthy bars for me to eat on the ride so I wouldn’t stop on the New Jersey Turnpike and buy junk. Check! Check! Check! It was the perfect pack.

I drove 6 hours to my sister’s house. I gallivant for a few days. Played electronic UNO with the kids ‘til late at night. Even decided since I had time on my hands I might as well get my hair done. Check!

Now, it’s super hard not to eat unhealthy at my sister’s house. Real Jamaican food being cooked here. Curry chicken. Rice and peas. Oxtail. Jeez. I feel like I’m in Jamaica for the first leg of my trip. Just pure yummy Michelle food. Resistance is low in Bloomfield, Connecticut. I went to Trader Joe’s and bought 4 cases of water to counteract any craziness. Check! It’s important to know I don’t practice deprivation. I eat. Weight loss happens regardless. Mainly because when I’m home I’m strict. I’m on vacation. Live a little. Check!

I was so relaxed. Then comes departure day. Or night. It was dark out. I woke up at 2am. Exhausted I just went to bed at 1am. Why won’t I sleep? Ugh. I woke my nephew up. We had to drive to JFK for my 7:55am flight. But as soon as I got up to leave, I knew. I knew I had forgotten my passport at my home in the safe, 6 hours away in DC. I looked at the time and I looked at my nephew and I wanted to cry. I had the whole weekend. I could have driven to DC and back, or even had my passport FedExed. Man, oh man. Alright. No point fussing. Let’s figure this out. How? Passport is required. I was screwed.

British airways didn’t open until 7am!!! Wtf. I’m definitely panicking now. Okay. Okay. Doesn’t matter. Life goes on. Two days of stress eating crap, I was sure I put back the 10lbs I had lost at my weigh-in at the weight loss center. All day and I barely drank any of the water I bought. I finally sorted it out and I got on a plane two days later and made a commitment to get my shit together. My weight loss shit together that is.

The point of the back story is nothing ever goes as planned. Life happens. You have to be prepared. I actually thought that in October when I jumped on this weight loss journey that being conscious of my emotional eating and my triggers would always make me prepared. Stress eating? No problem. I had it under control is what I thought to myself. I keep watching the weight drop because I was focused. First it was only diet and mind games for 3 months with light walking. Me and my trainer agreed to delay starting so I could ease my body of some of the weight so I am not discouraged by the workouts. I already hate the gym.

The idea was, if I felt too much pain then I would associate it with the gym and get discouraged, or plain whole STOP. Like I had done in the past. I was playing so much psychological mind games with myself. Shit I didn’t even need to do that when I was eating the food that put the weight on in the first place. Crazy, right? But clearly forgetting my passport and dealing with that stress and being in a trigger environment in Connecticut was too much to handle and I realized we are never fully prepared. It’s what we do next that matters. I was stressed because I needed this vacation – this thought trip. My soul yearned for it. And I had carefully and thoughtfully planned it. I had to go.

It was a photo from my family reunion that encouraged me to get moving. I’ve never battled too much with self-esteem so I never once looked in the mirror and saw an ugly face, but I definitely wrestled with what fat I would cut off and, where, if I could just take a knife and do it. I took one look at me in that pink dress in that photo and I realized that night I had to put on flip flops because my ankles were swollen from the 6-hour drive to Connecticut from DC. I also looked at the dress and my belly filled out so much of it I couldn’t wait around to have that heart attack most black people have in their 50s. While my face looked super young and people think I’m anywhere between 28 and 35, I was turning 43 that coming January and I needed to finally make a change.

In October 2018, I became super focused and I went to a weight loss center and lost 30lbs quickly. My joints felt good. I went to the trainer and we decided on one day a week. It seems like nothing but it has been so effective. I started to build a relationship with fitness that I hadn’t have in a long time. We are now at two to three days a week.

Bill Walker at Balance Gym in DC and I do weight training with kettle bells and resistance weights. He is the best trainer I’ve ever had. And I’ve had several. Sometimes I get through the time and I’m like that’s it? And he’s like well done. Now don’t get me wrong, Bill makes me feel like I’m going to die with every workout lol. But I say “that’s it” because for the first time I’m actually enjoying my workouts. I want to show up. I can only attribute that to Bill and his style of training. Never the seller, more focused on my care and my outcome. I have a left knee injury, a back injury and carpal tunnel in my left hand along with a strained right ankle from surgery. But Bill is so knowledgeable in joint and muscle pain that we would shift the workouts depending on what ailment I was having. It was a no brainer when I decided to sign up for a full 6 months of training.

I found my way out of Connecticut on an American Airlines flight and my first stop was London. I got to Heathrow late. I ate something light when I got to Misha’s. I slept the next day. Sleep is so important when you’re trying to lose weight and I don’t get enough of it so when I can, I do. I am naturally an insomniac. My thoughts and ideas flow better at night. This is either true or we insomniacs think so and have fully convinced ourselves of it :-).

I ate one boiled egg and a toast and salami for breakfast. The salami wasn’t the best option but I drank lots of water. Have to keep my ankles skinny especially after flying. My ankles always swell. Ugh. I watched a movie. Lounged and took another nap. Apparently, I was exhausted. So much drama with the airline and flight. I finally got up put on my gym clothes and decided to walk the streets of London and people watch. This is how I get my exercise when there is no gym. Getting my steps in. I actually love that about UK and Europe. Walking is so easy. And people are funny to watch. The pubs were already packed. It was a holiday weekend and they started early on that pint of Guinness.

The thing is, vacations and weight loss are not synonymous because we want to cheat. We have garnered this idea that being on vacation means we have to binge eat and stuff our faces with the worse foods. My goal was to taste everything. But I wasn’t planning on being stuffed. If I was stuffed, I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t people watch. What’s the point of being on vacation in a food coma? I actually like to see and explore the places I visit.

I made soup and festival for dinner and had a beer. I drank more water. The next day I was on a plane to Vienna. After getting sick on schnitzel I knew I had to be careful with foods in Vienna. Everything seems fried or processed into sausages. So, I made sure there was a salad or something light at every restaurant we dined, so I can have a healthy option. I drank plenty of water. I never shy away from desserts or alcohol but I’m not naturally a dessert eater so I don’t always indulge. But alcohol – definitely. Wine was cheap in Vienna and though not as cheap, gin spritzers were a “thing” and very delicious.

I told myself I had to work out at least once in every city I traveled to. With Misha, I was going to walk more than the average person anyway. We did over 12,000 steps a day. But I craved my Bill exercises. I went into the basement of the Le Meridien and was elated when I saw kettle bells. Great gym. I had my Bose headphones and I blasted some hip hop and rap and got to it. After my Bill reps I stretched. I was amped. Feeling good about myself I put on some hip hop and danced my ass off. I danced for another 20 minutes. I drank more and more water. In case you haven’t noticed, besides alcohol, I only drink water.

Misha and I walked so much I could hear the weight say, “I give up” and got off the next train stop before I could. We rode the train and walked everywhere. We went to Schöenbrunn Palace and got lost in the maze and even took unforbidden photos inside the palace. We visited the Jewish Museum and saw some amazing exhibits including that of Arik Brauer. We saw a horse show at the Spanische Hofreitschule Riding School and watched an opera, which left me singing “Nichola” the whole night. It was the only word I could remember since the language eludes me. We ate Art on a plate at the Pramerl and the Wolf in Roseau, Vienna. We took photos by the Hofberg Imperial Palace and we ate dinner at one of Vienna’s oldest restaurants. We had wine and downed calamari and mussels at Naschmarkt. We ate street food in Vienna City Centre. We did so much I can barely remember most of it. Like I said, I was with Misha and we did 12000 steps or more a day.

Misha went back to London and I went off to St. Julian, Malta. The first day was chill. Lazy and lounge. Malta was a breath of fresh air. Beautiful. View outside my balcony was to die for. I could retire here. The Mediterranean Sea looked amazing. Day two was sightseeing and walking. I ate whatever I wanted. No gym. And water was scarce. The water was not drinkable so restaurants don’t offer it up unless you buy. And I hadn’t noticed they didn’t bring any cause me and Kerina were drinking wine and beer. Malta was scenic. I ate rabbit (tastes like chicken), and we sat at the top overlook at City Lounge in Valetta and ate and drank and laughed.

Amsterdam was my reboot. First day we found a treasure right next to the hotel called Dragons Delight. Oat milk latte and avocado toast with scrambled eggs. This is too easy, I thought. Kerina worked out with me first day in the hotel gym, and we walked around Rembrandt Square that night checking out food, nightlife and coffee shops.

My fake henna tattoo from Malta got five Moroccan boys’ attention and I stopped so they could read the Arik Brauer quote I picked up at the Jewish Museum in Vienna. “There was never a manifesto, it simply” just “happened”. I added just to put my own spin on it. We chatted them up for a little bit. I exchanged numbers with one of them and carried on. He thought I was 24. The next day we did 17700 steps walking from our hotel in the Pijp to Museum quarter and Vondelpark. Once Kerina left I made sure I ate well and kept moving.

While I explored Amsterdam some more, I couldn’t give up my oat milk latte. I went to dragons delight daily. Partly because they serve breakfast all day. Yum! Jade, Luca and Jasom are super sweet. Jasom was always checking what else I needed. Jade and I chatted about her bulldog pups back in England, while I went on about missing Curry puppy. But Luca told me they made sure the freshest ingredients were on hand and had monthly specials. This month, I was lucky it was the smashed spicy avocado toast with scrambled eggs. Good healthy food, good hot drinks with non-lactose options like oat milk and good people. I couldn’t have asked for nothing more in the Pijp. Except on King’s day, I watched the orange clothes roll by on boats. I didn’t get caught up in the crowd, but I enjoyed the scenery.

Malaga, Spain was the final leg of my trip and I got there late. This city was mine to enjoy alone. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The next morning, I hit the streets and committed to a Misha day filled with at least 12000 steps and more if I could. I was going to forego public transportation and use my Chevy two (feet). It was the home of Pablo Picasso. The history of the Moors. Food and wine were cheap. Museums were free. I was determined to see it all. My clothes felt looser and I knew my weight shifted for the better.

Weight loss is at the forefront, but it wasn’t going to trap me either. Not every person over weight eats unhealthily. My cholesterol levels are great. I started clean eating after doing an amazing program with Emmanuel Galland in NYC. Clean eating means my meals are generally wholesome. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have been my rock! My problem was always over indulging and emotionally eating, never eating crappy foods like fast foods or greasy foods.

But with any weight loss program, you have to be ready, and it has to be internal. It’s a quest that must be accomplished by you, and you alone can make it happen. What I’ve learned so far and still learning is that consistency is key. Staying on course no matter how discouraged and feeling defeated or giving up is not an option. Those feelings are crap. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Stay on course. Nothing is easy. Keep at it and DO NOT look purely to others for support. While there are resources out there, they are not for everyone; therefore, encouragement has to come from within. Be your own cheerleader. And celebrate every win. Even if it’s small. I celebrated a big (30lb loss) with a trip to London.

I drank plenty of water in Malaga. The perks of being a Marriott Elite member, whatever you ask for you get. They were nice enough to give me more than the 2 bottles per day and so I told them to keep it coming.

I flew from Malaga back to Gatwick and then head to Heathrow where I would stay one night at the Marriott Moxy. Small, efficient and totally eclectic this hotel was noisy. I actually booked it to relax from my trip. However, I walked past a food truck and into the hotel, which had a red carpet laid out and girls dressed skimpily, handing me champagne. Where was I? After checking in at the bar (yes, the bar), I went upstairs, showered, changed and came back down to party. Who needs rest? I danced and chatted all night with a lady from Holland. We listened to a live band with steel drums, watched calypso dancers gyrate hips with practically no clothes on, took photos with a snake, drank free alcohol and ate free food. I was exhausted and hoped I wouldn’t miss my flight back to New York, but getting my exercise through dancing was fun.

When I got back from Europe, I had lost more weight. I had found my clarity while drinking wine and eating dessert, yet still managed to work out and lose weight. I call that success! I’m not encouraging anyone who is trying to lose weight to eat dessert because if it is a trigger then you have to be careful. However, I encourage consciousness, plenty of water, sleep when you can or just rest, walking everywhere, stop often if that’s what you have to do to reboot and hit the gym if your hotel has one, and if you can. Even if it’s just 15-20 minutes of weight training or on the treadmill or bike. Bike if you’re in Amsterdam. And it is a vacation, so enjoy it. I never forego any alcohol. I had wine, whiskey and beer. Food sizes are naturally smaller in Europe anyway so for an American traveler, I was already eating less.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, Vienna was the first time I worked out alone in a gym without Bill. It was quite an accomplishment. It’s definitely a “win” to celebrate and I am very proud of the relationship I have been building with fitness. I celebrated this big win by dancing for 20 minutes (big smiles). I start yoga again very soon. Who knows, my next PR article might be a yoga retreat in Bali.

Whether you’re touring Europe or staying at home and trying to lose weight. Don’t let it define you. Carve out how you plan to do it. Take charge and go for it. Don’t be discouraged by any setbacks. Life isn’t perfect. No such thing. Don’t forget to live your best life. Always. And if you’re an insomniac like me – drink lots of water. Oh, by the way, if in one night you down a whole bottle of wine in Malaga, Spain because you thought it was so cheap, drink more water. And make sure your next trip requires passport. I always do. It’s how I get my clarity. Besides, it’s less fun if you go domestic 😊.

Travel often. Travel well. Until next time – Gesundheit!

Gesundheit! Fitness, Weightloss, Wine, Dessert and Clarity in Europe was originally published on Passport Required

[nikkkic]

i really really need to talk about last night’s episode of brooklyn nine nine. that is not the kind of episode that you can fully appreciate in one watch so i had to go back and see it again before i talked about it. i am not in a place to speak on racial profiling but when i read the press release of this episode and found out that my favourite show is doing an episode on this very important and complex topic, I was intrigued but also worried. when taking on a topic that is incredibly urgent and relevant in today’s world, there definitely is a huge amount of responsibility that the show needs to take in highlighting the issue and giving it the importance it deserves while also maintaining the structure of the show. i definitely do not doubt dan goor and the brooklyn nine nine writers and actors for even a second, but taking on a topic like this in a cop comedy show where cops are believed to be inherently good and protective of their citizens is an incredibly huge risk, one that i did not want the show to take unless they were certain that they could do justice to it. and justice they did. 

i honestly cannot express how incredibly happy i was to see someone other than jake be a part of the A plot. don’t get me wrong you know jake peralta is the absolute love of my life, but the supporting characters in this show are so incredibly interesting and there’s so many great stories to be explored with them and sometimes they are underutilized in episodes and it’s frustrating because you know they have so much more to offer. terry excels in mediocre C plots so when he is given a fantastic A plot, he absolutely nails it. 

right off the bat when terry tells the squad about the incident, i absolutely love jake saying that he has never been stopped by a cop and he has done some really crazy things and the flashback that follows, b99 has never been a show to shy away from discussing white privilege and i love that this continued on in this episode. i love that terry’s first course of action was not to punish the officer for making the mistake, but rather talk to him about it and ensure that he wouldn't ever do it to anyone else again. i loved the conversations between holt and terry, it was interesting to see the differing perspectives of two black men in positions of authority and who belong to different generations. holt is justified in worrying about terry’s career and telling him to pick his battles, regardless of how deeply wrong the incident was. terry is justified in wanting to do the right thing and make the officer pay for what he did because this incident had nothing to do with his career in the first place. terry’s childhood flashback and viewing a cop as a superhero and telling holt that he can’t stop thinking about the thought of his daughters one day being out on the street looking for their child’s toy and being stopped by a bad cop and not being able to play the police card was heartbreaking. i love that terry chooses to file the report and doesn’t care about it affecting his chances of getting the city council job because it is the right thing to do. i can’t express how amazing terry crews is in this scene and how he makes me cry within seconds because his emotions are so raw and to see such a positive and happy person feel so defeated really hits you hard. i love that holt tells terry that when he went through these situations, he was alone and he had no one to turn to so he had to rise through the ranks to create change, but now he’s there, and how he decides to support terry regardless of the consequences. i love that there isn’t an easy resolution to this plot and it is a bittersweet ending because terry does not get the city council position likely due to his complaint against the officer and he does consider the thought of him maybe being able to do more if he had gotten the position. i love that holt and terry do acknowledge the fact that it’s tough to survive in this world, regardless of their position or rank. the writers don’t sugarcoat the issue but they also don’t let it slip to a dark and grave place that offers no hope, they find the perfect balance between the two, making their treatment of the issue that much more effective. 

jake and amy babysitting cagney and lacey was so so so important to me but i loved that it didn’t take away from the seriousness of the issue in any way. jake and amy showed immense growth in this episode, from thinking that cake and movies is the perfect diversion for the kids so they can avoid talking about the subject of race to actually having the most difficult conversation that a parent could possibly have with their child and handling it with so much care and sensitivity and not sugarcoating the issue for the children but also not giving them more information than they could handle. i love the last scene between them and how they go back and forth about the idea of kids, acknowledging that yes they’re super stressful but the experience of being with them is rewarding and being able to shape young minds is a powerful feeling. but wait kids are exhausting but they also have the cutest shoes and hands. our babies are ready to have their own babies!! i always knew that jake and amy would make perfect loving supportive and caring parents but if this episode is any indication, they’ll be even greater than i ever imagined. 

best jokes of the episode:

“get woke scully” I SCREAM EVERYTIME

all of charles’ creepy hilarious lines about jake and amy being parents!!

gina’s song on racism

“oh and one more thing, i love you” “i love you too jake” so cute so cute so cute

“tv and cake were my parents”

“what kind of kids don’t wanna eat cake, should we call child services on terry”

the handling of the orgasm question

gina and rosa babysitting cagney and lacey (lord knows i’d kill for an entire episode of this)

[wiremagazine]

GAYS ON TV 2017: ON-SCREEN & STREAMED ONLINE

By Michael W. Sasser

Sure, just as gay characters, themes and stories were becoming virtually reflexive on TV, the whole definition of "TV" has become something else. With the proliferation of alternative vehicles for delivery of streamed entertainment (Netflix, Amazon) and with so many now seeing a large portion of said streamed entertainment on phones and pads, "TV" is a whole new paradigm.

It's OK, though. Those themes are as prevalent across the home entertainment spectrum. From beloved sitcoms on old school networks to the pansexual nature of old school cable/pay networks (Here's looking at you, Game of Thrones) to a gaggle of gays online (Netflix alone...), there's gay and gay-ish material a-plenty.

Of course, just acknowledgment and representation is sooo 20th Century. That's fine too. Because rather than just a small part of the fabric of popular fictional worlds, gay themes and characters are essential components of programs from Modern Family to Sense8 and beyond.

Just keeping track of the gay content beaming around the globe is a chore these days. To help out, this week, Wire Magazine offers a quick glimpse of some programs you might want to consider.

Even if they aren't necessarily "on TV."

13 Reasons Why Netflix

13 Reasons Why has taken audiences by storm with its ripped-from-the-headlines themes. The source material is the best-selling books by Jay Asher. 13 Reasons Why follows teenager Clay Jensen as he returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker – his classmate and crush – who tragically committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah reveals the 13 reasons why she committed suicide, leaving Clay to listen and determine if he is one of the reasons. The compelling, young-adult based series transcends demographics in exploring themes familiar to people of all ages. No way a series this contemporary misses out on an LGBTQ component, which in this case includes a prominent lesbian character and a young gay male who shared his secret with the deceased Hannah.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Netflix

A few years ago, even one young adult oriented work of fiction with overt gay characters and themes would make headlines. Today, it is barely notable. Witness A Series of Unfortunate Events. Based on the internationally best-selling series of books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) and starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events recounts the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – whose evil guardian Count Olaf will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance. Interestingly modern in sensibility, the series introduces its audience to Sir and Charles, a gay couple who operate a lumber mill. Initially introduced as "partners" to the Baudelaire children, the pair is revealed to be gay by Lemony Snicket. "In fact, 'partners' can mean several things," Snicket explains in the series. "It could mean two people who own a lumber mill together or a cupcakery. And now, with the advent of more progressive cultural mores, not to mention certain high-court rulings, it could also mean…"

American Horror Story FX

American Horror Story is so inclusive it is almost... well... scary. Since its beginning, the series has walked the line between good and evil, insanity and stability, etc. while exploring and expanding on popular myths and memes. Each season features an entirely new storyline, with links across the time and place of the settings, creating a still-to-be revealed tapestry. LGBTQ content has been pretty standard to varying degrees. The most recent season, American Horror Story: Roanoke was the sixth season of the series and played with reality television and the nexus of real and unreal in a photo-within-a-photo type plot line that left a few scratching their heads when it was over. Still, the aristocratic Edward Philippe Mott made for an entertaining gay character last season and fans are anxiously waiting to see what's next.

Billions Showtime

Showtime has never been afraid to explore gender and orientation in a realistic way and the network pairs that with timely inspiration in Billions. The series is loosely based on the activities of crusading federal prosecutor of financial crimes Preet Bharara, the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and his legal battles with hedge fund manager Steve Cohen of S.A.C. Capital Advisors. Non-binary actor Asia Kate Dillon is stealing scenes as non-binary character Taylor Mason this season, helping keep Showtime on the edge.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Fox

Brooklyn Nine-Nine has demonstrated that there remains an audience for police dramas and that, when done well, they still garner respect. It has won two Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards: one for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy and one for Andy Samberg for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy. Andre Braugher has also been nominated for three consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for his performance. Braugher, no stranger to TV or to cop dramas, plays Captain Raymond Jacob Holt, the captain of the 99th precinct. Holt is both a by-the-book cop and an out administrator, making for a complex and appealing character and a portrayal obviously well received by critics.

Dear White People Netflix

This satirical series – which picks up where the acclaimed 2014 film by the same name left off – follows a group of "Winchester University's" students of color as they navigate a diverse landscape of social injustice, cultural bias, political correctness (or lack thereof) and sometimes misguided activism in the millennial age. Through an absurdist lens, Dear White People utilizes biting irony, self-deprecation and sometimes brutal honesty to hold up a mirror to the issues plaguing society today, all the while leading with laughter. Gay people of color have largely remained less visible in entertainment media than their Anglo counterparts, but this Netflix series, like others, doesn't shy away from inclusion. Series character Lionel is gay, although it takes a little while for him to be comfortable saying it, even in a fictitious Ivy league setting. Other characters Neika and Monique, who are lesbians, are more comfortable already with their identities but no less compelling as characters.

Empire Fox

Empire has taken the TV world by storm... even though it is actually on network! It's success has been with audiences and critics. Named a Top 10 Television Program of the Year by the American Film Institute, Empire was the only broadcast series to earn a Golden Globe Award nomination this past year in the category of Best Television Series – Drama. Additionally, Taraji P. Henson won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama and recently was nominated for an Emmy Award, for the second year in a row, in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. While the series has demonstrated that a drama focused largely on African Americans can succeed with a broad audience, it has also included gay themes in that context. Jamal Lyon is a main character in the series, a scion of the family whose story is being told, and gay. His exploration of himself in the particular world he inhabits rings sincere.

Grey's Anatomy ABC

Hospital dramas are a network staple and after a decade, a Golden Globe Award and multiple Emmy nominations, Grey's Anatomy continues to steam along. Hospital/medical dramas have long provided settings for insightful looks into a host of issues. However, there has been an evolution from LGBTQ "issues" to LGBTQ concerns as integral to storytelling. Jessica Capshaw has played pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins for most of the series and has provided a realistic and layered lesbian character for the program's vast audience.

How To Get Away With Murder ABC

Murder, deception, fear and guilt are the ties that bind Middleton University Professor Annalise Keating to her long-time associates Frank Delfino, Bonnie Winterbottom and her students, the "Keating 5." But as the group struggles to move on with their lives and focus on their clients, their past continues to haunt them. With Wallace Mahoney's murder unsolved and Frank's whereabouts still unknown, Annalise and her inner circle struggle to keep their secrets from getting exposed. Among the primary character is the fascinating Connor Walsh. Dashing, daring and edgy, this is no cookie cutter gay character from central casting of 20 years ago. ABC pushes the envelope with the portrayal and made a splash when Connor went on PrEP because his partner is positive.

Orange is the New Black Netflix

One of the series that has thrust Netflix into the mix of any discussion of "TV" series, Orange is the New Black really couldn't avoid queer content if it wanted to. Although the series, based on a real-life story, focused early on very tightly to one upscale, bisexual white woman's trials and tribulations after being sentenced to federal prison for a youthful indiscretion, Orange has evolved. Recent seasons have broadened the focus on the whole, with spectacular cast of character's back-stories and struggles. Rich in emotion, deeply insightful and funny at the same time, gay and straight characters blend seamlessly. Most recently, they pushed the boundaries of political correctness be featuring a gay male jailer who also happened to make a detestable but nuanced villain.

Riverdale The CW

Not to be left out, The CW network's Riverdale is based on characters from the Archie Comics. Set in the present, the series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surreality of small-town life – the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade. OK, so it isn't the Archie Comics you (or your parents) grew up with. Kevin Keller was a major recurring character during the first season of Riverdale, then getting "promoted" to regular status in season two, proving there is plenty of room at the table with the Archie Comics regulars.

Shameless Showtime

To say that the fictional Gallagher family around which this series revolves are shameless is a tremendous understatement. Quite often they are just wrong. However, they are also engaging, hilarious and entertaining to viewers. Ian Gallagher has shared the limelight from the beginning, and his teen gay foibles have driven or contributed to numerous story branches. Reactions to his orientation have ranged from heart-warming to hilarious with quite a few somewhere in between – reflecting many people's contemporary reality, even in the setting of poverty class South Chicago. Ian's evolution and relationship issues ring true with many.

The Walking Dead AMC

Arguably, the single greatest broadcast television sensation of the past decade, The Walking Dead's exploration of a post-zombie apocalypse has roped in viewers the way the graphic novel source material did readers. With just a few exceptions, characters tend to come and go – often suddenly and unexpectedly. Still, the television series, like the graphic novels, routinely features gay characters among the ensemble. Sure, in the light of the end of the world, there isn't much time to worry with a lot of traditional gay themes. But Aaron and Eric, a gay couple who appeared in recent seasons, still confronted mild discrimination of sorts even in a rare haven from the zombie hoards. However, it might be the more matter-of-fact inclusion of characters that illustrates the series' real smarts.

Twin Peaks Showtime

The return of the all-time cult classic favorite has been hailed by longtime fans and the entertainment media. Episode 4 of the new Peaks revival catches up with Denise, a trans woman. Now a chief of staff of the FBI, she has finally come out as transgender and undergone a transition. Denise is portrayed as the thoughtful, gentle soul that made the character such a standout in the first place, with a nuance reflecting excellent writing and acting. A particularly touching sequence highlighted the paternal affection a colleague has for Denise, hinting at possible further storytelling progress in the series.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Netflix

Tina Fey and Robert Carlock created this offbeat comedy that has found a solid and loyal viewer base. Who said there are no original storyline setups in comedy anymore? The series follows 29-year-old Kimmy Schmidt as she adjusts to life in New York City after her rescue from a doomsday cult in Indiana where she and three other women were held by Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne for 15 years. Determined to be seen as something other than a victim and armed only with a positive attitude, Kimmy decides to restart her life by moving to New York City, where she quickly befriends her street-wise landlady Lillian Kaushtupper, finds a roommate in struggling actor Titus Andromedon, and gains a job as a nanny for the melancholy and out-of-touch socialite Jacqueline Voorhees. The gay Titus, played by Tituss Burgess, is hilarious; and who doesn't gravitate toward Jane Krakowski, who plays Jacqueline Voorhees?

 This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 28.2017